World Championships: Yew Sin looking forward to potential rematch with Rankireddy-Shetty

Ong Yew Sin set his sights on a potential World Championships quarter-finals showdown against Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty.

If all goes to plan, he and partner Teo Ee Yi could find themselves against the in-form Indian pair in the last eight of the world meet in Copenhagen, Denmark, starting next Monday.

Ong-Teo had met the world number two pair twice this year, losing both encounters.

The first was in the Swiss Open semi-finals in March, followed by the Asian Championships final a month later.

On both occasions the Malaysians could have won, but lapses in concentration meant Rankireddy-Shetty triumphed.

“We are looking forward to meeting them. They are a solid pair and we are definitely capable of beating them depending on how we perform on that day.

“For us now, it is about maintaining consistency. We have lost our focus in the second and third game, and we need to make a commitment to rectify that,” said Ong.

In their last four tournaments, the world number eight pair won the opening game three times, only to lose the subsequent two games, including losing deciding matches against reigning Olympic champions Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin in Japan and Australia.

But Ong-Teo can draw confidence from beating Rankireddy-Shetty at the 2021 World Championships.

Despite facing some pressure heading into this world meet, Ong said it was the good kind.

“It is a pressure that makes us want to perform well, so that’s good. Our preparations are going well to date,” he added.

The seventh seeds have a bye to the second round, where they await the winners of the match between a Thai and American pair.

Should they win as expected, a tougher assignment awaits in the form of home pair Kim Astrup-Anders Rasmussen.