KUALA LUMPUR – After a two-year absence, the long-awaited Petronas Malaysia Open has finally made its return to Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, with eager fans filling the seats to watch their favourite shuttlers battle it out.
However, it has not been a breeze for the players as some of them have voiced their concerns about the strong drift on the playing field.
Mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Lai Shevon Jemie defeated their higher-ranked comrades Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing 21-18, 19-21, 21-18 in the first Malaysian match of the tournament.
Speaking to the media after their match, Shevon Jemie said the wind on court was strong, and proved a challenge to overcome.
“The drift was very strong, which made it hard to control the shuttle.
“It came down to who could better control the shuttle in the air that would determine the winner,” said Shevon Jemie.
She gave credit to her partner, Soon Huat, for being able to control the shuttle better, which gave them the advantage over their fellow Malaysian opponents.
Meanwhile, world number one men’s player Viktor Axelsen also echoed their remarks after his win against Frenchman Brice Leverdez.
“The drift was crazy, I don’t think I have ever tried anything like this before.
“It is the biggest drift I have experienced in my career, so that definitely says a lot,” he said.
Axelsen added that one side of the court had a stronger gust compared with the other, which explained the score line. He won 22-20, 21-7.
“One of the sides was really fast, so it was an experience. That is why it was tough for me in the first set.
“Then you can see in the second set it was tougher for him (Leverdez). Hopefully it is better in the other courts, but we will have to see,” he added.
He also said that the difficulty faced playing in the gusty court today was good training for conditions in upcoming matches. – The Vibes, June 28, 2022
