Rexy to Fairuz-Zakry: Finals best time to shine
News 12:04 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: There is nothing like playing in a Thomas Cup Finals on home ground and doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky is hoping the occasion at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil next month will bring out the best in Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif.
The pair are very likely to miss the boat for the world championships in Paris in August as they are now ranked 18th behind Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (No. 1), Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah (No. 12) and Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen (No. 14).
The top three pairs make the cut for the world championships if they remain inside the top 24 when the qualification period ends on April 29.
Fairuzizuan-Zakry have only featured in the Malaysian Open and Swiss Open this year as Rexy was not convinced they have the form to challenge strongly for honours. The duo have suffered a slide in form after the high of reaching the world championships semi-finals in Hyderabad last year.
“If they miss the cut for the world championships, it’s not because they have not played in enough tournaments. It’s because they did not make the best of opportunities.
“Even if they had gone for other Super Series tournaments, they might have suffered early exits as well as they did in the Malaysian and Swiss Opens.
“However, I’m happy with the way they are shaping up for the challenges in the Thomas Cup Finals. They are showing character and fighting spirit in training.
“The Thomas Cup is a very important event for the country and I hope they will rally to the challenge if they are called up for duty. This is the best time for them to achieve something good.”
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will name their team for the Finals on Friday.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong and Fairuzizuan-Zakry are sure bets to be in the team based on their experience of having featured in previous campaigns. And Ong Soon Hock-Hoon Thien How, who were quarter-finalists at the Asian Championships (ABC) in New Delhi last week, are likely to be named as the third pair.
World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei is seen as the only one who can be counted on for a point from the singles matches in crucial ties and the doubles pairs have to contribute for Malaysia to have any hope of regaining the Cup.
If anything, Fairuzizuan-Zakry can draw inspiration from their maiden outing together in the last Finals in Jakarta two years ago.
They were the second doubles pair in the semi-final tie against China and stunned the more experienced Xie Zhongbo-Guo Zhendong to put Malaysia back in the fight. But their efforts were all in vain as Malaysia went down to a 2-3 defeat.
The pair are very likely to miss the boat for the world championships in Paris in August as they are now ranked 18th behind Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (No. 1), Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah (No. 12) and Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen (No. 14).
The top three pairs make the cut for the world championships if they remain inside the top 24 when the qualification period ends on April 29.
Fairuzizuan-Zakry have only featured in the Malaysian Open and Swiss Open this year as Rexy was not convinced they have the form to challenge strongly for honours. The duo have suffered a slide in form after the high of reaching the world championships semi-finals in Hyderabad last year.
“If they miss the cut for the world championships, it’s not because they have not played in enough tournaments. It’s because they did not make the best of opportunities.
“Even if they had gone for other Super Series tournaments, they might have suffered early exits as well as they did in the Malaysian and Swiss Opens.
“However, I’m happy with the way they are shaping up for the challenges in the Thomas Cup Finals. They are showing character and fighting spirit in training.
“The Thomas Cup is a very important event for the country and I hope they will rally to the challenge if they are called up for duty. This is the best time for them to achieve something good.”
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will name their team for the Finals on Friday.
Kien Keat-Boon Heong and Fairuzizuan-Zakry are sure bets to be in the team based on their experience of having featured in previous campaigns. And Ong Soon Hock-Hoon Thien How, who were quarter-finalists at the Asian Championships (ABC) in New Delhi last week, are likely to be named as the third pair.
World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei is seen as the only one who can be counted on for a point from the singles matches in crucial ties and the doubles pairs have to contribute for Malaysia to have any hope of regaining the Cup.
If anything, Fairuzizuan-Zakry can draw inspiration from their maiden outing together in the last Finals in Jakarta two years ago.
They were the second doubles pair in the semi-final tie against China and stunned the more experienced Xie Zhongbo-Guo Zhendong to put Malaysia back in the fight. But their efforts were all in vain as Malaysia went down to a 2-3 defeat.
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 12:04 PM.
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