12 hours Ago By K. M. Boopathy
KUALA LUMPUR: Men's doubles Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun hope to end their second round jix at the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China next week, but they face a stern test against Indonesia's All England runners-up Leo Rolly Carnando-Bagas Maulana. The Malaysian world No. 7 had lost at the same stage in the Asian meet over the last two years.
Leo-Bagas have grown from strength to strength since starting their partnership at the Japan Open in August last year. Although Wei Chong-Kai Wun beat the Indonesians at the Arctic Open in Finland last October in their only meeting, Wei Chong is wary of their rise. "We have not achieved a breakthrough at the Asian Championships where we only managed to reach the second round.
We want to do better this time," said Wei Chong. "We managed to beat Leo-Bagas in Finland last year but they have been playing well since last month. They finished runners-up at the All England.
" Wei Chong-Kai Wun should beat world No. 153 Dev Ayyappan-Dhire Ayyapan of the United Arab Emirates in their opening match in Ningbo. Wei Chong-Kai Wun did well to win the Indonesia Masters in January, but had a European tour to forget after losing in the first round at the Orleans Masters and the All England.
The duo hope to be mentally sharper after BAM roped in a full-time psychologist, Lim Jin Xuan, from the National Sports Institute last month.© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd.
