Badminton: Rexy breaks up two combinations after dismal results By LIM TEIK HUAT KUALA LUMPUR: Doubles chief coach Rexy Mainaky has decided to split the two-year partnerships of two combinations – Mohd Zakry Latif-Gan Teik Chai and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Lin Woon Fui. Southpaw Teik Chai will now partner right-handed Woon Fui while Zakry and Fairuzizuan, who are both right-handers, will forge the other new combination. Both pairs will feature in the Singapore and Indonesian Opens in May. Rexy said that the results of Zakry-Teik Chai and Fairuzizuan-Woon Fui in the last four tournaments were unimpressive compared to the others and they also did not have a single international Open title to their names. “I review the performances of the players every four months. Their results were not that good and I have decided that they will get different partners,” he said. “They will be put to tests at the Singapore and Indonesian Opens and I will take it from there. They will not be playing in the Asian Badminton Championships (ABC) next month and now is a good time for them to work on strengthening their new partnerships.” The national players resumed training yesterday after a one-week break and the two new pairs were at work in Bukit Jalil. Splitting the Zakry-Teik Chai and Fairuzizuan-Woon Fui partnerships will not affect the chances of the new pairs’ participation in the Super Series tournaments. “Their world ranking points are quite good and even with new partners they will still get to play in the main draw of 32,” said Rexy. Veterans Lee Wan Wah-Choong Tan Fook are still the highest ranked pair at No 7 in the world rankings while All-England champions Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong have closed in at No 10. Zakry-Teik Chai and Fairuzizuan-Woon Fui were ranked at 13th and 19th respectively. Last year, Fairuzizuan-Woon Fui were the semi-finalists in the All-England and also emerged as the champions in the National Grand Prix Final. They came closest to winning an international title at the World Cup in China, losing to Indonesians Markis Kidho-Hendra Setiawan in the final. The pair also featured behind Kien Keat-Boon Heong as the second entry for the men’s doubles competition at the Doha Asian Games last December and were eliminated in the quarter-finals. Zakry-Teik Chai were also semi-finalists in the All-England last year but have since faded on the international scene. They were beaten in the second round at the All-England and crashed out in the first round in the Malaysian, Korean and Swiss Opens this year.
I am sure they will have better result. I love the new combination now - Gan/Lin *Yay*. and Zakry/ Fairuz
hey hey.. good to hear about tis! i've been looking forward for this combination before this.. see how's their performance
They need all the exposure they can get - Rexy's idea of thrusting them deep into the ocean is a refreshing change to their development, together with the other juniors. "Now this is the kind of opposition you will need to be able to beat in the future regularly, not your trainee peers at the academy". Weeding out the weed from the wheat. (And throwing the chaff into fire? )
Haha. Actually in real life he doesn't look like that. I dont know why Fairuz always look a little bit different in pictures. If you see him face-to-face, he actually has beautiful eyes!
his name makes the judges tongue-twister.Especially the koreans.I think in korean open,the judge repeat 5 times just to pronounce fairuzizuan name well.
yup,I remember the one in MO.Fairuz was ready to serve,but the judge couldn't figure out how to pronounce his name and Fairuz smiled.. I thought it's Fairu-zizuan but it should be Fairuz-izuan,right?
Agree. He does look a bit blur.. Dunno why.. There's something with his beautiful, but sleepy eyes.. Hehehe..
