Shenzhen: Although they fell short of claiming the title at the 2024 China Masters, Malaysia’s mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin expressed mixed feelings—disappointed with the runner-up finish but proud of their overall performance at their first-ever BWF World Tour final, especially a Super 750-level event.
Highlights of Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin vs. Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in the 2024 China Masters final:
Ranked World No. 23, Hoo and Cheng surprised many by advancing to the final at this year’s China Masters Super 750 tournament. It’s worth noting that they achieved this milestone without their coach, Nova Widianto, who couldn’t travel to Shenzhen due to visa issues.
Hoo/Cheng defeated higher-ranked opponents en-routing to the final, including World No. 3 Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin of China in the second round and World No. 7 Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong in the semifinals.
In the final, under the guidance of Malaysia’s men’s doubles coach Tan Bin Shen, and women’s doubles coach Rosman Razak, the Hoo/Cheng were able to push China’s World No. 2 Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping to their limits. Hoo/Cheng fought for 93 minutes before narrowly losing 23-21, 23-25, 16-21.
Despite the defeat, Hoo/Cheng had proved that they were capable of challenging the higher-ranked opponents.
Hoo/Cheng earned $40,250 (approximately RM180,000) in prize money and the runner-up finish is likely propelling them into the world’s top 20 in next week’s BWF rankings.
The 26-year-old Hoo shared his thoughts after the match: “We’re really disappointed and regretful. We had match points in the second game and could have won in straight sets, but they performed better than us today.”
“We didn’t feel much pressure—the pressure was on them. We just focused on giving our all. We had a game plan against them, but they were steadier and more experienced. While we didn’t win, we’re happy with our overall performance and will continue working hard to grow into a stronger pair.”
At 21, this was Cheng’s first World Tour final. She admitted to struggling with nerves and unforced errors early in the tournament but steadied herself as the event progressed.
“Experience was the main reason we lost,” Cheng said. “I lost focus in the first game, but the coach and Pang Ron helped me regain my confidence. Pang Ron kept reminding me that we had nothing to lose. The decider was incredibly tough,” she added.
Malaysia’s national coaching director, Rexy Mainaky, praised the pair’s efforts. “They performed very well, pushing a much more experienced pair to the limit.”
“Even without Nova, they showed maturity. The support from Bin Sheng and Rosman was crucial, and Pang Ron and Su Yin exceeded expectations. Their performance reflects the growing confidence, independence, and strength of our mixed doubles players,” said Mainaky.
In the women’s singles final, Korean World No. 1 An Se Young showcased her Olympic champion prowess by claiming the women’s singles title at the China Masters, becoming the first Korean player to win this event since its inception in 2005.
An defeated China’s World No. 28 Gao Fang Jie in 38 minutes, winning 21-12, 21-8. This victory marked her third title in China, following her wins at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and last year’s China Open.
With this win, An has now claimed her fifth title of the season, adding to her victories at the Paris Olympics, Malaysia Open (Super 1000), and the Singapore and French Opens (both Super 750).
Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning defeated teammates Li Yi Jing/Luo Xu Min 21-10, 21-10 to win the women’s doubles title.
