WONG Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui are starting to feel the heat of the Malaysia Open.
The fact that they could make history as the first Malaysian women’s pair to top the world rankings if they make the final here, has been giving them the jitters.
National doubles coach Rexy Mainaky is worried that the pair will succumb to pressure and blow their opportunity of becoming the World No 1 pair.
“Pressure is something I don’t want to put on them as Pei Tty and Eei Hui are not in the right frame of mind for the event. I feel that they are thinking too much on creating history instead of polishing their game in training,” said Rexy at Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
“I fear that it may backfire. They should avoid thinking about it for now.
“I want them to enjoy training and later enjoy the tournament. They will get their reward by doing this.”
The Malaysian pair, if they make the final, will replace China’s Du Jing-Yu Yang as the new World No 1.
Rexy attributed Pei Tty-Eei Hui’s sudden rise to prominence to regular sparring sessions with the top local men’s pairs.
“I imposed this last year and it helped them win the Denmark Open and the Super Series Masters,” he said.
The coach also stressed that the pair were 100 per cent fit and free from injuries for the tournament.
Eei Hui suffered minor pain in her ankle when she was training on cement courts last week. Her partner also suffered a slight strain due to this.
“She has not been complaining about it for the past few days. The training venues in Bukit Kiara and Bukit Jalil are excellent but not the cement courts in Cheras,” added Rexy.
Eei Hui-Pei Tty, should have it easy in the early rounds but will face a stiff challenge against former world and Olympic champions Yang Wei-Zhang Jiewen in the quarter-finals.
Defending champions Yang Wei-Jiewen have retired from the China national team and are now on their own on the circuit.
The other top contenders include Beijing Olympics silver medallists Lee Hyo Jung-Lee Kyung Won of South Korea and Taiwan’s Cheng Wen Hsing-Chien Yu Chin.
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