Hoo Pang Ron admitted nerves affected his performance as he and Lai Pei Jing missed the chance to become the first Malaysian mixed doubles pair to win the China Masters.
The Malaysian duo lost 19-21, 16-21 to home favourites and world No. 1 pair Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping in the final at Shenzhen Arena.
It was another difficult defeat for Pang Ron against the Chinese pair, having also lost to them in the 2024 final when he partnered Cheng Su Yin.
“I didn’t feel at my best at first and maybe I was a little too nervous. But after playing a few points, we got used to the environment and everything, and it got better,” said Pang Ron.
The Malaysians stayed close in the opening game, but Feng-Huang increased their intensity in the second game and built a sizeable advantage.
“Maybe they became more confident and their game was more solid in the second game. We were still trying to find ways to overcome the changes they made, but maybe it was a little too late.
“Hopefully, this gives us another target and shows us what we need to improve on,” added Pang Ron.
Pang Ron-Pei Jing Gain Confidence
Malaysia are still waiting for their first China Masters champion, with the tournament having been held since 2005.
The mixed doubles event has produced Malaysian finalists in the last three editions, including Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, who finished runners-up last year.
For Lai Pei Jing, the result extended her wait for another title after her last triumph at the Korean Open with Tan Kian Meng in 2022.
Despite the defeat, Pei Jing remained positive about their performance in Shenzhen.
The China Masters was only their sixth tournament together since forming their partnership in May and their first competition as a pair in three months.
“Overall, I’m happy with our performance here. Even when we had negative thoughts, we managed to refocus and tried to fight our way back into the match.
“I think that is a very good mindset for us and hopefully we can keep this momentum going into the next tournament,” said Pei Jing.
Their run to the final has also boosted their confidence ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics qualification period.
“Of course, we are looking forward to fighting for the Olympics. That is our ultimate goal. We will go step by step and try not to put too much pressure on ourselves. Most importantly, we want to enjoy the game,” added Pei Jing.
China Masters Final Results
Men’s singles: Jason Gunawan (Hkg) bt Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hkg) 21-9, 21-16.
Men’s doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty (Ind) bt He Jiting-Ren Xiangyu (Chn) 11-21, 21-13, 21-17.
Women’s singles: An Se-young (Kor) bt Tomoka Miyazaki (Jpn) 21-17, 21-6.
Women’s doubles: Sumire Nakade-Miyu Takahashi (Jpn) bt Bao Lijing-Cao Zihan (Chn) 21-18, 21-18.
Mixed doubles: Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (Chn) bt Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing (Mas) 21-19, 21-16.
The result gives Pang Ron and Pei Jing valuable experience as they continue building their partnership and targeting qualification for the 2028 Olympics.