Eei Hui-Pei Tty get chance to head world ranking
By LIM TEIK HUAT
http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2008/12/30/sports/2909688&sec=sports
PETALING JAYA: The women’s doubles pair of Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty are in for a shot to start the season with a bang in the Malaysian Open, which will be held at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil next week.
The top seeds get the chance to make history as the first Malaysian women’s pair to top the world rankings if they make the final.
Eei Hui-Pei Tty have improved considerably over the last few months to take a career best second spot in the world and they are even seen as genuine contenders to become the first Malaysian winners of the event since Rosalind Singha Ang-Teoh Siew Yong in 1964.
But whether they can achieve the success will very much depend on the physical condition of Eei Hui going into the week before the championships begin on Jan 6.
Wong Pei Tty and Chin Eei Hui will head the world's rankings if they enter the final at the Malaysian Open next week.
Eei Hui is troubled by a nagging ankle injury and doubles coach Pang Cheh Chang said that they would have a better knowledge of her condition later this week after she consults the National Sports Institute’s physiotherapist.
“The physiotherapist is still on Christmas leave and we are waiting for her to come back to get an appointment,” he said.
“It is an old injury which has acted up again. If her condition is not good and she needs to slow down, we will reduce the intensity of training to protect her ankle.
“But they will definitely compete in the Malaysian Open. The only thing is if the quality of training is lower, it remains to be seen whether they can make similar impacts as they did in recent weeks.”
However, Cheh Chang hoped that Eei Hui would have the mental toughness to overcome the problem and put up a good show with her partner.
“Injuries are common for all players at this competitive level. They were also not at their best condition in the Super Series Masters Finals in Sabah recently but showed their strongest fighting spirit to win the title. It is this type of character on court that sometimes makes the difference between winning and losing.
“Eei Hui-Pei Tty, actually, have a good chance to grab the number one spot in the world rankings as they are not lagging far behind the top Chinese pair (Du Jing-Yu Yang).
“China are not competing in the Malaysian Open and I believe that making the final should be enough to see them taking the top spot for the first time,” he added.
Eei Hui-Pei Tty will face their strongest threat, however, from former Olympic champions Yang Wei-Zhang Jiewen, who have been drawn in their quarter.
Defending champions Yang Wei-Jiewen have retired from the Chinese national team and are now on their own in the international circuit.
The other top contenders for the title include Beijing Olympics silver medallists Lee Hyo-jung-Lee kyung-won of South Korea, who are in the other half of the draw as second seeds Cheng Wen-hsing-Chien Yu-chin of Taiwan.