KUALA LUMPUR – It will be winner takes all when the Malaysian badminton team meet Chinese Taipei in their final group match of the 2023 Sudirman Cup at the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre tomorrow.
Having already booked their spot in the quarterfinals, Malaysia will look to repeat their stunning feat which saw the national shuttlers sweep clean past India and Australia.
Malaysia won both matches with a 5-0 score respectively.
Chinese Taipei also won both their matches against India (4-1) and Australia (5-0) and will be banking on world No. 5 men’s singles Chou Tien Chen, world No. 15 men’s doubles Lee Yang-Wang Chi Lin, and world No. 3 women’s singles Tai Tzu Ying to get the win against Malaysia.
Speaking to The Vibes, former world No. 1 women’s doubles shuttler Wong Pei Tty said the key to facing such tough opponents is to keep calm and focus on their respective matches.
“Team events are usually different from individual events. The players will face more extreme pressure than usual. The key to handling such situations is to keep calm.
“Sometimes it is not about how skilful you are but how brave you are to face such opponents,” she said.
The furthest Malaysia has gone in the Sudirman Cup was reaching the semifinals twice – in 2009 and 2021 respectively.
Pei Tty helped the national team clinch their first bronze medal in 2009 when she partnered with Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tahari in the mixed doubles and Chin Eei Hui in the women’s doubles.
She said Malaysia and Chinese Taipei are equal in strength, but it will boil down to their performance on the court tomorrow.
“It is a 50-50 match.
“(Women’s singles player) Goh Jin Wei will have an uphill task against Tai Tzu Ying. However, with her beating India’s top player Pusarla V. Sindhu, this match is difficult to predict.
“I think our team now are in high spirits. Hopefully, all the players can maintain the momentum and give their best in every match,” added the former international player – The Vibes, May 16, 2023
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