KUALA LUMPUR: Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky wants the fast-rising Yap Roy King to be given time to grow.
On Saturday, Roy King and mixed doubles partner Valeree Siow reached their first international final when they defeated homesters Marwan Faza-Jessica Maya Rismawardani 13-21, 21-19, 21-9 in the semi-finals of the Super 100 Indonesia Masters in Medan.
Roy King-Valeree, who were crowned national champions in July, will face Japan's Hiroki Nishi-Akari Sato in the final.
The Japanese pair prevented an all-Malaysian final by defeating Choong Hon Jian-Go Pei Kee 21-18, 12-21, 21-18 in the semi-finals.
However, in the men's doubles, Roy King couldn't secure a spot in the final as he and his partner Wan Arif Wan Junaidi lost 21-13, 21-19 to Indonesia's Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani in the last fourFor the record, Roy King achieved a sweet double of titles at the National Championships and the 2019 Malaysia Junior International in Putrajaya.
When asked if Roy King was in any way similar to South Korea's Seo Seung Jae, who did the double at the recent World Championships in Copenhagen, Rexy said: "Honestly, I don't know, but it is good if Roy King is inspired by Seung Jae. Not many can achieve a double in doubles.
"However, I want Roy King to be given space to grow.
"He is a promising player, no doubt about that, but I don't want to over-hype these young players and distract them from their focus.
"They have a long way to go and so much to improve."
National mixed doubles coach Lutfi Zaim Khalid shared similar sentiments, stating that the progress of their mixed doubles players is encouraging, but they still have a lot to learn.
He emphasised the need for greater consistency and reducing errors during matches for these young talents.