Liu Ying wants to make amends in Swiss Open

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 -- After her poor showing at back-to-back tournaments in Thailand last month, mixed doubles shuttler Goh Liu Ying has vowed to bounce back at the Swiss Open in Basel next month.

Liu Ying said it is crucial for she and Chan Peng Soon to rise to the occasion and win the Swiss Open, to gain valuable qualification points for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo in July. The Swiss Open will be held from March 2-7.

“We are gearing up for the Swiss Open next month. We hope to do our best to win the tournament and earn points for the 2020 Olympics,” she told Bernama today.

The topseeded Malaysians will take on Thai pair Nipitphon Phuangphuapet-Benyapa Aimsard in the opening round.            

At the Toyota Thailand Open, Liu Ying and Peng Soon were narrowly beaten by Indian pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Ashwini Ponnappa 21-18, 22-24, 20-22 in the quarterfinals.

The world number 13 pair also bowed out at the last-eight stage of the Yonex Thailand Open, losing to Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai 18-21, 17-21.

Liu Ying said they had worked out their strategy and tactic for the Swiss Open with coach Chin Eei Hui.

She said the Movement Control Order (MCO) had affected her training and is grateful that public badminton courts are now allowed to open.

“Some of my training had to be changed slightly because of COVID-19 SOPs (standard operating procedures),” she said, adding that she did a lot of strength training indoors when outdoor activities were not allowed.

Earlier this year, the pair reunited with Eei Hui, who had been released by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) last December.

Eei Hui had guided Liu Ying and Peng Soon to bag a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

-- BERNAMA