Malaysia Open: Liang/Wang Pull Off ‘Big Court’ Plan
A brazen strategy saw Chinese sensations Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang floor Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo/Marcus Fernaldi Gideon in the PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2023 second round.
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In their Super 1000 debut event, the men's pair “made the court as big as possible” so they could use their talent to their advantage.
“We went into the match wanting to use the whole court because if we limit ourselves against the Minions, they will use it against us," said Wang after the 20-22 21-12 21-19 win. "We made sure we made the court as big as possible and not keep to the mid-court. As a result, Kevin couldn’t control the shuttle from there. You can't let Kevin have fun in his favourite zone.”
After their second victory over the former world No.1 tandem, Wang was modest in his assessment of their display. The Chinese duo had sent the Indonesian pair packing on home turf in the Indonesia Masters 2021 semifinals in their only previous meeting.