Herry will give world junior champs time to mature

KUALA LUMPUR: World junior champions Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing have impressed national men's doubles coach Herry IP, but the Indonesian is not expecting too much from them now.

It is rare for any pair who won the world junior crown to go on to excel at senior level. And that has been the case for Malaysia's previous winners.

Malaysia previously won seven world junior titles, but none of the shuttlers were able to shine in the World Tour.

In fact, only two players — Chan Chong Ming and Tan Boon Heong — achieved success on the senior stage, albeit with different partners.

Chong Ming, who won the world junior crown with Jeremy Gan (1998) and Teo Kok Seng (2000), was world No. 1 (senior level) with Chew Choon Eng, and they also bagged a few titles on the World Tour.

Boon Heong won the world junior title with Hoon Thien How (2004), but it was with Koo Kien Keat that he found fame as the world No. 1, and they also won the 2006 Asian Games gold and other tour titles.

World No. 56 Aaron-Khai Xing, who are both aged 18, have been playing in Super 500 events.

In last month's Indonesia Masters, Aaron-Khai Xing lost in three games to Indonesia's world No. 66 Raymond Indra-Patra Harapan in the qualifying round and also took Indonesia's world No. 24 Shohibul Fikri-Daniel Marthin to three games before bowing out in the second round of the Thailand Masters.

"Aaron-Khai Xing look to be a very good pair but they are still young. They need time to show progress and become more mature," said Herry,

"I watched them play at the Indonesia Masters, they played well. In the Thailand Masters, they gave the Indonesians a good fight although they lost, and this is a good sign.

"They need to be constantly monitored, and continue get exposure in tournaments. Whether they need to be tried out with different partners is too early to tell. Let them develop into a better pair."

Aaron-Khai Xing will compete in the German Open in Muheim on Feb 25-March 2 and Orleans Masters in France on March 4-9.

The duo will want to be an exception by making a successful transition from junior to senior level.

There has been no talk about splitting the current national men's doubles as Herry wants to give the younger pairs up to two years to prove their worth.

Aaron-Khai Xing's long term partnership will only be determined by their success in winning titles during the trial period.