KUALA LUMPUR: National mixed doubles player Teoh Mei Xing feels that her partnership with Hoo Pang Roon has reached about 80 per cent in terms of compatibility, but the quest for consistency and focus remains top of the agenda in their bid for their first title in the Badminton World Tour (BWF) series this season.
Winner of the 2022 Malaysia International Challenge mixed doubles event with Pang Roon two months ago, Mei Xing said the pair need to work harder on their mental and physical preparation after confirming their participation in four straight tournaments in Europe this year.
Currently ranked 67th in the world, Pang Roon-Mei Xing will kick off their European tour with the German Open from March 7-12, the All-England (March 14-19), Swiss Open (March 21-26) and the Spain Masters (March 28-April 2).
“We still have room to improve, especially on-court consistency as I still consider myself lacking experience in mixed doubles.
“Besides, we (Pang Roon-Mei Xing) haven’t had many chances to play against the world’s best pairs. Pang Roon, however, has been guiding me on strategy play and so on to acclimatise ourselves faster to each other’s game,” she said when met by reporters recently.
The 25-year-old also credited Indonesian coach Nova Widianto for working on their weaknesses and for instilling a sense of self-belief.
On whether they were ready for their showdown against compatriots Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei in the first round of the German Open, Mei Xing said preparations were being stepped up although she believes the match will be a close affair.
“They (Tang Jie-Ee Wei) have weaknesses we can exploit but there are also familiar with ours, and so every time we step into the court, it is 50-50 between us. It all depends on our state of readiness and confidence level,” she added. – BERNAMA
