KUALA LUMPUR: National coach Herry IP has warned rivals not to write off Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun despite their off-colour performances at the Japan Open in Tokyo.
Herry, fondly known as the Fire Dragon, has called on his charges to show their class and bounce back at next week’s China Open.
World No. 2 Aaron-Wooi Yik, who were on a hot streak with three titles in as many months, crashed out in the first round to independent compatriots and world No. 30 Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi.
World No. 7 Wei Chong-Kai Wun, meanwhile, were no match for South Korea’s world No. 3 Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae, falling in straight games in the quarter-finals at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
“Our men’s doubles pairs were not up to scratch and failed at the Japan Open, but I want to make sure they bounce back and perform better in China,” said Herry.
“Winning and losing is part of the game, but we must evaluate our performances, build on our strengths and improve on our weaknesses.
“I will sit with the players for video analysis to rectify shortcomings and ensure we’re fully prepared for the China Open.”
It’s not the first time Herry has had to rally his players.
After a poor showing at the All England in March, he helped reignite their form.
Since April, Aaron-Wooi Yik have picked up titles at the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC), Thailand Open and Singapore Open, while Wei Chong-Kai Wun lifted the Malaysia Masters crown.