KUALA LUMPUR: Mixed doubles shuttler Chen Tang Jie has challenged his partner, Toh Ee Wei, to aim for the "Big 4" next year after a remarkable season this year.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei came close to their biggest career win in the World Tour Finals (WTF) in Hangzhou on Sunday, but were denied by China's Olympic champions Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong.
The Malaysian duo's second placing in the WTF will push their world ranking from No. 8 to a career high No. 6 when the new list comes out tomorrow.
The year saw Tang Jie-Ee Wei reaching the Paris Olympics quarter-finals apart from winning the Korea Open. They also finished second in the Swiss Open and Thailand Masters.
Although Tang Jie didn't specifically mention his "Big 4" target, their main tournaments next year will be the World Championships in Paris on Aug 25-31, the WTF in Hangzhou on Dec 10-14 and Super 1000 World Tour events, Malaysia Open (Jan 7-12) and All England (March 11-16).
"This year's achievements have been meaningful, filled with challenges and triumphs. Yet I know there's always room for improvement," wrote Tang Jie in his Instagram story.
"To my partner, I believe that with our effort and united strength, we can make a push for the Big 4 in the upcoming season. Are you ready, Ee Wei?"
National coach Nova Widianto said it was heart-wrenching to see his charges miss out on a WTF title and stressed that Tang Jie-Ee Wei need to learn to be patient in a major final.
"It's a pity for Tang Jie-Ee Wei to lose as they had the chance but didn't have the patience to finish off the job. Maybe lack of experience could be a factor and it was a valuable lesson for them," said Nova.