KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 23 Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Junaidi are eager to replicate their impressive Malaysia Masters performance seven months ago at the Axiata Arena, with ambitions to climb even higher.
The pair are relishing their Malaysia Open debut, a prestigious Super 1000 tournament reserved for the world's elite, which begins on Tuesday.
Roy King-Arif captured attention during last May's Malaysia Masters when they made a surprising run to the semi-finals, eventually falling to the current world No. 1 pair Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark.
As the World Tour returns to Malaysia, Roy King-Arif are determined to defy expectations once again, rebuild their confidence and advance in the rankings. They view the home tournament as an opportunity to revitalise their progress, which has stalled since their remarkable Malaysia Masters showing.
Arif admitted their performances have fallen short since breaking into the world's top 32, with a particularly disappointing second half of 2024.
"We need to get out of our comfort zone," said Arif.
"We either lost in the first or second round after the Malaysia Masters.
"That pattern needs to end. We should be aiming for quarter-finals and semi-finals."
"To compete at the highest level, we must improve our power and consistency. We often struggle to close the gap when trailing our opponents by significant margins."
However, Arif recognises the formidable challenge ahead at the Axiata Arena. They face newly-paired South Koreans Seo Seung Jae-Kim Won Ho in their opener, with a potential clash against world No. 2 Wang Chang-Liang Wei Keng in the next round.
"Given the tough draw from the first round, we're keeping our expectations in check.
"While winning our match is our goal, we won't let pressure overwhelm us. Our focus is on enjoying the game and giving our absolute best."