KUALA LUMPUR: While local players were falling like tenpins on the first day of the Malaysia Open, mixed doubles Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei managed to stop the rot with an extraordinary effort to reach the second round.
The intense pressure on them was seen in the initial few rallies, but world No. 5 Tang Jie-Ee Wei steadied the ship to beat unheralded Taiwanese pair Wu Hsuan Yi-Yang Chu Yun 21-8, 21-9 in 26 minutes.
World No. 40 Hsuan Yi-Chu Yun looked threatening initially, but Tang Jie-Ee Wei got their act together and eventually prevailed.
They shouldn't be blamed for feeling jittery as men's singles Leong Jun Hao, men's doubles Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and mixed doubles Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin had all crashed out earlier.
Also eliminated were independent mixed doubles Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien as well as women's doubles Go Pei Kee-Teoh Mei Xing.
However, Tang Jie said they were not affected by their compatriots' setbacks and focused on their own performance.
"We had been waiting a long time for our match but we stayed calm and focused on our match. We want to make sure Malaysians are still there in the tournament," said Ee Wei.
"So, we didn't want to be bothered by what was happening around us but on lifting our own performance.
"We are playing on home ground and we are representing Malaysia and that was the spirit we were playing with."
Men's doubles Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun brought in more consolation for Malaysia by defeating world No. 19 Kenya Mitsuhashi-Hiroki Okamura of Japan 21-12, 21-17 to check into the second round.