World mixed doubles champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei wrapped up their Group B campaign at the BWF World Tour Finals as runners-up after a narrow defeat to China’s world No. 1 pair Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping on Friday.
The Malaysians went down 21-18, 26-24 in their final group match, a contest that served only to decide the group winner as both pairs had already secured semi-final qualification.
Despite the loss, Tang Jie and Ee Wei delivered an encouraging performance in the 53-minute encounter, particularly in the second game. After falling behind 11-4, they staged a strong comeback, saving three match points before eventually conceding to the experienced Chinese duo.
Their resilience against the tournament favourites will give them confidence heading into the knockout stage, as they continue their bid to improve on last year’s runners-up finish at the season-ending event.
In the other Group B match, world No. 9 Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai were eliminated after a straight-games loss to Indonesia’s world No. 10 Jafar Hidayatullah and Felisha Pasaribu, 21-17, 21-17. It marked the fourth consecutive defeat for the Malaysian husband-and-wife pair against the Indonesians.
The result saw Soon Huat and Shevon finish bottom of the group without a win. However, qualifying for the World Tour Finals still earns them a payout of US$21,000 (approximately RM86,000).
Their early exit also meant they were unable to replicate last year’s run to the semi-finals, where they were eventually knocked out by Tang Jie and Ee Wei.
