Malaysia Open: Hong Kong badminton pair Tang and Tse kick off new season with win, as Ng and Lee crash out in singles
- Mixed doubles duo win first round at US$1.25 tournament in Kuala Lumpur
- But both Angus Ng and Lee Cheuk-yiu suffer early exits in men’s singles
Tse Ying-suet shook off a foot injury as she and Tang Chun-man battled into the second round of the Malaysia Open in the mixed doubles on Tuesday, getting their 2023 season off to a winning.
The Hong Kong duo overcame a tough test against Scotland’s Adam Hall and Julie Macpherson, ultimately winning in three games 21-18, 19-21, 21-19 at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur.
Head coach Tim He Yiming praised the pair’s fighting spirit, and revealed that they had been hampered in training by a series of injuries.
“Tse was still nursing a foot injury before leaving for Kuala Lumpur and could not train too hard,” He said. “We are so glad that they still made it through as it was a very close battle, especially in the deciding game.
“In the end, their experience paid off. Our pair had to work point for point, hanging in there with the best effort they could offer before wrapping up the match after almost an hour.”
The pair have not played since Tse dislocated her shoulder during training in October, just before she and Tang were expected to leave to compete in two events in Denmark and France.
Tse and Tang have been the city’s top players for the past several years, finishing fourth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and winning bronze at the 2021 World Championships in Huelva, Spain.
It was a different story for Angus Ng Ka-long and Lee Cheuk-yiu in the men’s singles, however, with both falling at the first hurdle.
