KUALA LUMPUR: Makeshift women's pair Teoh Mei Xing-Go Pei Kee showed they are ready to impress at the Super 500-rated Korea Open in Seoul this week.
On Tuesday, they got off to a winning start with a convincing 21-13, 21-16 win over Canada's Jaqueline Cheung-Catherine Choi.
They will face top seeds Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee in the last 16 next.
While defeating world No. 2 Ha Na-So Hee will be a tall order, a strong performance from Mei Xing-Pei Kee would be a positive outcome.
The duo have been playing together since the Uber Cup in May, filling in for Mei Xing's injury-prone regular partner Anna Cheong, who is sidelined for an unforeseeable period.
With the women's doubles department lacking in depth, the coaches are eager to find reliable combinations.
Currently, apart from world No. 9 Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, no other Malaysian pairs are ranked high in the world rankings.
Pei Kee has been playing with Low Yeen Yuan since last year, but they have failed to make a desirable impact.
Meanwhile, professional pair Goh V Shem-Boon Xin Yuan have also progressed in the men's doubles event after a hard-fought 17-21, 23-21, 21-11 win against Chen Zhi Yi-Presley Smith of the United States.
However, they are staring at an early exit as South Korean top seeds Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Seung Jae could be up next.