KUALA LUMPUR: Professional mixed doubles shuttler Lai Pei Jing paid tribute to her partner Tan Kian Meng for his tremendous support after the pair reached the semi-finals of the Indonesian Open — their best result yet this year.
Despite recently falling victim to a scam, Pei Jing showed no signs of being affected as she teamed up with Kian Meng to deliver their best performance in recent times.
The world No. 21 subdued world No. 8 Kim Won Ho-Jeong Na Eun of South Korea, winning 21-8, 21-19 in just 39 minutes at Istora Senayan in Jakarta on Friday.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing were in excellent form and were never overtaken throughout the match.
In the opening game, they raced to a commanding 11-1 lead, and in the second, they opened up an 11-5 advantage, paving the way for their emphatic victory.
This was their third win in five meetings against the South Korean pair, exacting sweet revenge following their defeat in the opening round of the Malaysia Open in January.
Pei Jing believes having Kian Meng, her partner since 2015, as a pillar of support was crucial in their fine run this week.
"Coming into this tournament with some personal issues, I'm really thankful to my partner for being understanding and encouraging me throughout the matches," said Pei Jing.
"We trusted each other in fighting for every single point. That's very important.
"Words can't describe how happy I am right now. But I cannot be too happy yet because there will be another match coming up. I'm just trying to stay calm and refocus for tomorrow."
Kian Meng echoed Pei Jing's sentiment and has vowed to carry their fine form into the semi-final duel with China's world No. 5 Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin on Saturday, aiming to reach the Super 1000 final for the first time in their career.
Kian Meng-Pei Jing were semi-finalists at the Indonesia Open in 2019 and the China Open last year — both Super 1000 tournaments.
"We're happy and excited to make it this far, but the tournament is not over yet," said Kian Meng.
"I'm quite happy with my consistency because in the past, I was prone to committing simple mistakes. Today is one of those days when I'm being very consistent."