Malaysia’s ace players Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong finally clinched a desperately needed title when they defeated their team-mates Ow Yao Han and Chooi Kah Ming in Men’s Doubles final battle at Malaysia Open GP Gold 2012 in Malaysia, on Sunday, May 6.
The struggling Kien Keat and Boon Heong, who are number 8 in the world at the moment, showed impressive performance in the home event of Malaysia Open and tamed their compatriots in two games.
The defending champions Kien Keat and Boon Heong, who were top seeds in Men’s Doubles draw of the championship, proved their worth as they did not lose any game to their younger team-mates and won the title for the second time in a row.
On the other hand, Ow Yao and Chooi Kah played well against their higher ranked compatriots but failed to dominate the game in the concluding points and lost the title match in straight games.
While talking about the victory, Kien Keat said that they won a title after one year and are confident now to perform well in upcoming tournaments.
He said, “To win a title after a year gives us a lot of confidence and hope although our opponents are ranked lower.”
He further added, “The feeling of being a champion again has given us the desire to want more. Boon Heong and I still have a lot to improve before the Olympics and we will work on it.”
In the title match, the higher ranked Kien Keat and Boon Heong played tremendous badminton as they did not let their younger team-mates to take charge of rallies at any stage.
The top seeds remained on track in the first game of final match and easily bagged it with a remarkable score of 21-15.
In the second game, the lower ranked Ow Yao and Chooi Kah put up good show and matched the speed and accuracy of their rivals.
However, they failed to continue their positive play in the ending points.
On the other hand, Kien Keat and Boon Heong played mature game in the concluding phase of second set and grabbed it with a tight score of 21-19.
Kien Keat and Boon Heong won the title by ending the final contest with a margin of 21-15 and 21-19.