THE tendency of being satisfied as the No 2 , sadly, has spread from the senior singles shuttlers to their juniors.
This is the only conclusion one can make after witnessing Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin's tame defeat in the final of the World Junior Championships on Sunday.
Iskandar is a rare breed among Malaysian players as he has the heart of a fighter -- until he reaches a final.
Sunday's defeat to Tian Houwei was not the first time Iskandar showed this disturbing tendency as he suffered a similar embarrassment at the hands of the China player in the Asian Junior Championships final.
Over the years, Misbun Sidek, Rashid Sidek, Foo Kok Keong, Wong Choong Hann, Ong Ewe Hock and lately Lee Chong Wei, have found the final an obstacle too huge to clear.
Obviously, we don't want Iskandar heading the same way but his comments after the semi-final victory on Saturday didn't inspire confidence.
"I have achieved my target of reaching the final. I will give it a try in the final."
This is not exactly what one expects to hear from a pumped up player going into a final, especially as this is early indication that he or she will eventually end up being satisfied with second-best results.
Chong Wei, after years of trying to make a breakthrough in major events, has found Lin Dan of China the main stumbling block.
This is something Iskandar must avoid for the 18-year-old shuttler has the ability to become world class if he is focused and disciplined.
He has the height and is one of the fittest players on the junior circuit but must focus on improving his confidence.
As for Syawal Ismail, there is little a coach can do if the player refuses to stop his on-court antics and habit of playing to the gallery.
It has cost Syawal on numerous occasions and a sure medal slipped through his hands when he fell to an unheralded Indonesian in the preliminary rounds.
The end is not far away if Syawal chooses to remain the same.
Misbun Ramdan Misbun still has a lot of catching up to do and it remains to be seen how hard he is willing to work.
He is also another player who needs to focus on muscle development and cultivate killer instincts.
Zulfadli Zulkifli may be only 16 but he cannot rest on his laurels as the shuttler has not shown much progress for almost a year now and a change in training environment is needed if he wishes to win Malaysia's first boys' singles title in the World Juniors in the next two years.
He currently trains under his father Zulkifli Sidek but it is time for him to join the national junior squad full-time as his fitness level was found wanting in Alor Star.
National junior training will enable him to get access to complete training facilities and this is essential in making him a better player and helping him achieve his true potential.
It is Zulkifli's call to decide on Zulfadli's future and the former, a coach himself, shouldn't wait too long before making his decision.
The depth in the girls' singles is still lacking and so far only Sonia Cheah, 16, has shown promise but she is unlikely to win the world junior crown.