KUALA LUMPUR – They beat their peers, then their seniors, and finally, a former world number one.
Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun made history today by becoming the first Malaysian men’s doubles pair to win the Indonesia Masters since the tournament’s inception in 2010.
In a commanding final at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, the seventh-seeded Malaysians stunned the number one seeds and home favourites Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in straight games, 21-11, 21-19 to claim their maiden Super 500 title.
“It’s our biggest breakthrough so far,” said Wei Chong, reflecting on their first-ever win against the Indonesians after losing in all four previous encounters.
Kai Wun shared that the key to their victory was focusing on the present. “We had already discussed what went wrong in the past, but on court today, we didn’t think too much about it. We just focused on executing our game plan,” he said.
The Malaysians also credited their improved focus on the finer details of the game. “We paid more attention to our service receiving and made sure not to give up easily,” Kai Wun added.
The historic win came on the back of another remarkable achievement in the semi-finals, where Wei Chong and Kai Wun shocked their seniors and former world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
Despite their milestone win, Wei Chong and Kai Wun remain grounded. “We’re happy, but today is today, and tomorrow is a brand-new day. We don’t want to overthink this,” said Wei Chong.
The victory marks a significant step in their career, but the duo dismissed comparisons to Malaysia’s other top men’s doubles pairs, including Aaron and Wooi Yik, as well as Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani.
“We don’t think about being Malaysia’s next big men’s doubles pair. We are all Malaysians, and all we want is to do our best,” said Wei Chong.
With this breakthrough win, Wei Chong and Kai Wun have firmly established themselves as rising stars in the badminton world, ready to take on greater challenges ahead.
Their next big assignment is leading the Malaysian mixed team squad at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships in Qingdao, China, next month. — January 26, 2025
