KUALA LUMPUR: Perhaps it's better for the fans to keep their expectations in check after all the talks about the current crop of Malaysian shuttlers mounting a serious challenge for the Sudirman Cup in May.
On paper, Malaysia appear to have what it takes to do so, given the depth that the team have in nearly all departments, with Lee Zii Jia (men's singles), Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (men's doubles), Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women's doubles) and Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing (mixed doubles) currently ranked among the world's top six in their respective events.
Malaysia are also the reigning 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games mixed team gold medallists.
However, Zii Jia and company can forget even about retaining the bronze medal won in the previous Sudirman Cup Finals in Vantaa, Finland, two years ago — unless they buck up.
Malaysia's lacklustre 4-1 loss to India in their final Group B match in the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship on Thursday was very much a cause for concern.
Malaysia were expecting points from world No 4 Zii Jia and world No 5 Pearly-Thinaah in their respective matches, but neither of them delivered after losing to their opponents for the very first time.
Zii Jia battled hard against H.S. Prannoy for 70 minutes, but it was the India shuttler who prevailed 18-21, 21-13, 25-23.
Pearly-Thinaah squandered two game points in the opening game at 20-18 on the way to gifting Treesa Jolly-Gayathri Gopichand Pullela their first win in five meetings with a score of 23-21, 21-15.
Reigning world champions Aaron-Wooi Yik had earlier reduced the deficit to 2-1 with a 21-16, 21-10 win over scratch pair Dhruv Kapilla-Chirag Shetty, shortly after P.V. Sindhu doubled India's lead by beating Wong Ling Ching 21-13, 21-17.
Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei had the chance to salvage a consolation point in the dead-rubber mixed doubles match, but they, too, failed.
The recent Iran International winners were handed a reality check by Ishaan Bhatnagar-Tanisha Crasto who dealt them a 21-19, 19-21, 21-16 defeat.
BAM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria urged the Malaysian team to bounce back from the loss to India
"The tournament has not ended yet... I see that the team have their ups and down. I hope they forget the defeat (to India) and get ready for the next match against China (last night).
"I believe the players are all professional and know what needs to be done," said Norza.
Meanwhile BAM singles coaching director Wong Choong Hann admitted that the team "could have done better".
"Overall, we're a little bit off the mark here and there. The players really need to buck up," he said.
"They need to be more committed to getting a win.
"While Zii Jia's match was as close as it gets, Pearly-Thinaah and Tang Jie-Ee Wei could have really done better (in yesterday's matches).
"If there's one bright spark in the defeat, it has to be Ling Ching's energetic performance against Sindhu."
The 20-year-old, who was fielded at the expense of Goh Jin Wei, had taken a surprise 12-3 lead over the former world champion in the second game before running out of steam.
"With a place in the knockout stage secured, we decided to keep Jin Wei fresh for the quarter-finals match which is obviously more important," said Choong Hann.
"Ling Ching did earn invaluable experience from the match. Despite losing, she played really well and took the game to Sindhu."
RESULTS — India bt Malaysia 4-1 (H.S Prannoy bt Lee Zii Jia (18-21, 21-13, 25-23; P.V. Sindhu bt Wong Ling Ching 21-13, 21-17; Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bt Dhruv Kapila-Chirag Shetty 21-16, 21-10; Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand Pullela bt Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah 23-21, 21-15; Ishaan Bhatnagar-Tanisha Crasto bt Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei 21-19, 19-21, 21-16.