Latest news with #KaiWun
New Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Wei Chong-Kai Wun shrug off Istora jeers, eye stronger comeback
KUALA LUMPUR: Men's doubles ace Tee Kai Wun is not losing sleep over the hostile reception he and Man Wei Chong received during their Indonesia Open semi-final recently. The world No. 7 were jeered by a packed Istora Senayan crowd when they took on home favourites Sabar Karyaman Gutama–Moh Reza Pahlevi in Jakarta. The Malaysians eventually went down 21-18, 12-21, 21-18. But rather than dwell on the incident, Kai Wun is choosing to take it in stride. "I didn't see it as a big deal. The home fans were probably just trying to support their players by getting into our heads and disrupting us mentally — that's normal," said the 25-year-old after a training session on Friday. "But honestly, we've never experienced anything quite like that — at least not to that extent. It was overwhelming, but definitely something we can learn from and try to handle better moving forward. "Maybe the crowd was trying to break our momentum, especially since we had done quite well in the last two tournaments in Indonesia. But it's part and parcel of playing in front of a passionate crowd. We accept it. "It's really not a huge problem. Every player goes through this kind of pressure at some point in their career. Other major tournaments — like the World Championships — can be just as intense. Ultimately, it's on us to manage the situation and stay focused." Known for its deafening atmosphere, the iconic Istora has long been regarded as one of the toughest arenas for visiting players, especially Malaysians, due to the longstanding rivalry between the two nations. Despite the semi-final exit, Wei Chong-Kai Wun have been enjoying a resurgence of form. After a string of four early exits since March, the duo roared back to life by winning the Malaysia Masters Super 500, reaching the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open Super 750, and making the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open Super 1000 — all in the space of three weeks. "We've got a month to prepare for Japan and China," said Kai Wun, referring to the back-to-back Japan Open (Super 750) and China Open (Super 1000) next month. "We need to fix our shortcomings from the past tournaments. We have to push ourselves in training, no matter how tough, and make the most of the next few weeks. "We're definitely a better pair than we were in past years, but we've got to work hard to keep this going and stay consistent. We can't afford to let our guard down and flop in Japan — that would undo all that we've built recently. "If we want to move up in the world rankings, we have to start getting better results at the Super 750 and Super 1000 events. We'll get our chance to do that next month."
Barnama
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
Malaysia Masters: Wei Chong-Kai Wun Seize Opportunity To Overcome 'Tired' Aaron-Wooi Yik
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Bernama) -- The demanding schedule faced by 2022 world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik is believed to have given an advantage to national men's doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun to overcome their seniors in the Malaysia Masters 2025 final here today, though credit must go for their hardwork. Wei Chong-Kai Wun, entering as the fifth seeds, clinched their maiden title in the tournament by surprising the fourth seeds in the final at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, with scores of 21-12, 15-21, 21-16, in a match that lasted 50 minutes. This victory redeemed their disappointment of being runners-up in the 2023 edition. Kai Wun said they seized the opportunity after realizing that Aaron-Wooi Yik had reached two consecutive finals within a week, after a hard-fought victory at the Thailand Open 2025 last week, defeating William Kryger Boe-Christian Faust Kjaer of Denmark, 20-22, 21-17, 21-12 in the final. "Perhaps their performance was slightly affected and their condition slowed down after playing almost every day lately. We played without pressure and didn't think about champion or runners-up; the important thing was to prioritise our performance today," he told reporters here today. Wei Chong said the communication aspect on court with his partner has also improved after facing a poor run of form previously. The 25-year-old also appreciated the role played by national men's doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi, who helped strengthen their mental resilience during difficult times. After winning the Indonesia Masters 2025 by defeating home favourites Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto, 21-11, 21-19 last January, the world's eighth-ranked pair's performance dipped, with early exits in four consecutive tournaments, before enjoying the taste of success today. Kai Wun, delighted with their first home victory, especially over teammates Aaron-Wooi Yik, hopes to maintain the current momentum for the Singapore Open 2025 (May 27-June 1) followed by the Indonesia Open (June 3-8). "Playing at home is very special to the point where fans didn't know which side to support, but we are happy because first and second place belonged to Malaysian pairs," he said.
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Wei Chong-Kai Wun one step away from Malaysia Masters glory
NATIONAL men's doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun are just one win away from glory at the Malaysia Masters 2025 after a stunning 21-12, 21-14 semi-final victory over Japan's Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil here today. The first game began cautiously, with both pairs level at 3-3 before found their rhythm and turned on the style to open up a seven-point lead at 15-8 before romping to a 21-12 win. The fifth-seeded Malaysians had a shaky start to the second set, trailing 0-2 before they caught fire to storm to an 11-5 lead before a delicate net shot from Kai Wun sealed the deal, sending them into the final with a commanding 21-14 win in just 31 minutes. This was their first-ever win over the 2021 world champions from Japan, having fallen short in their two previous encounters. The world number eight Malaysians now have a chance to go one better than their 2023 runner-up finish when they went down fighting 15-21, 24-22, 19-21 to South Korea's Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Seung Jae. In tomorrow's final, Wei Chong-Kai Wun will face either Malaysian fourth seeds Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik or the top-seeded Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark. Kai Wun said their aggressive tactical approach was key to denying Hoki-Kobayashi a place in the final. He said that today's win over another world-class pair, following their 19-21, 21-7, 21-16 quarter-final triumph over world number two and compatriots Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani had given them a major confidence boost heading into the final. Wei Chong, meanwhile, hopes that they can stay focused and carry their red-hot momentum into the title showdown. 'It would be great if we can become champions but what's important is that we must focus on our performance,' he said. Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah were the last Malaysian men's doubles pair to emerge victorious in the Malaysia Masters back in 2013.
The Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Red-hot Wei Chong-Kai Wun one step away from Malaysia Masters glory
NATIONAL men's doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun are just one win away from glory at the Malaysia Masters 2025 after a stunning 21-12, 21-14 semi-final victory over Japan's Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil here today. The first game began cautiously, with both pairs level at 3-3 before found their rhythm and turned on the style to open up a seven-point lead at 15-8 before romping to a 21-12 win. The fifth-seeded Malaysians had a shaky start to the second set, trailing 0-2 before they caught fire to storm to an 11-5 lead before a delicate net shot from Kai Wun sealed the deal, sending them into the final with a commanding 21-14 win in just 31 minutes. This was their first-ever win over the 2021 world champions from Japan, having fallen short in their two previous encounters. The world number eight Malaysians now have a chance to go one better than their 2023 runner-up finish when they went down fighting 15-21, 24-22, 19-21 to South Korea's Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Seung Jae. In tomorrow's final, Wei Chong-Kai Wun will face either Malaysian fourth seeds Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik or the top-seeded Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark. Kai Wun said their aggressive tactical approach was key to denying Hoki-Kobayashi a place in the final. He said that today's win over another world-class pair, following their 19-21, 21-7, 21-16 quarter-final triumph over world number two and compatriots Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani had given them a major confidence boost heading into the final. Wei Chong, meanwhile, hopes that they can stay focused and carry their red-hot momentum into the title showdown. 'It would be great if we can become champions but what's important is that we must focus on our performance,' he said. Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah were the last Malaysian men's doubles pair to emerge victorious in the Malaysia Masters back in 2013.
Barnama
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
Red-hot Wei Chong-Kai Wun One Step Away From Malaysia Masters Glory
SPORTS KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 (Bernama) -- National men's doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun are just one win away from glory at the Malaysia Masters 2025 after a stunning 21-12, 21-14 semi-final victory over Japan's Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil here today. The first game began cautiously, with both pairs level at 3-3 before found their rhythm and turned on the style to open up a seven-point lead at 15-8 before romping to a 21-12 win. The fifth-seeded Malaysians had a shaky start to the second set, trailing 0-2 before they caught fire to storm to an 11-5 lead before a delicate net shot from Kai Wun sealed the deal, sending them into the final with a commanding 21-14 win in just 31 minutes. This was their first-ever win over the 2021 world champions from Japan, having fallen short in their two previous encounters. The world number eight Malaysians now have a chance to go one better than their 2023 runner-up finish when they went down fighting 15-21, 24-22, 19-21 to South Korea's Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Seung Jae. In tomorrow's final, Wei Chong-Kai Wun will face either Malaysian fourth seeds Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik or the top-seeded Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark. Kai Wun said their aggressive tactical approach was key to denying Hoki-Kobayashi a place in the final. He said that today's win over another world-class pair, following their 19-21, 21-7, 21-16 quarter-final triumph over world number two and compatriots Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani had given them a major confidence boost heading into the final. Wei Chong, meanwhile, hopes that they can stay focused and carry their red-hot momentum into the title showdown.
