KUALA LUMPUR: Men's doubles Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, after three consecutive first-round exits, were not expecting any miracles at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 – but one came their way at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil today.
World No. 24 Yew Sin-Ee Yi, cheered on by the home crowd, came from a game down to defeat world No. 4 Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto of Indonesia 15-21, 21-15, 21-13 in 62 minutes.
The victory not only prevented a fourth consecutive opening-round exit but also gave a boost to the veterans, reaffirming that their careers are far from over.
Despite a tough run of form, Yew Sin-Ee Yi extended their winning streak against Fajar-Ardianto, having now won the last three encounters.
Yew Sin set low expectations going into the match after a difficult 2024..
"Our results were not good last year, and we didn't have high expectations.
"We approached this competition in a relaxed manner," said Yew Sin.
"We have come to a stage where we don't want to force ourselves. So, we'll just take whatever comes our way and remain low-profile."
Ee Yi also credited the home fans for their role in turning the match around.
"The fan support has helped us each year, and there was no difference this time. We had nothing to lose in the match and are looking forward to doing better in the next round," said Ee Yi.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi made it to the quarter-finals last year and will now face an uphill challenge against South Korea's scratch pair Kang Min Hyuk-Jin Yong in the second round on Thursday.