Taktikal bekas jurulatih kebangsaan, Jeremy Gan, nyata berhasil dalam memastikan anak buahnya yang juga merupakan pilihan utama Masters Malaysia 2019 dari Jepun, Yuta Watanabe dan Arisa Higashino, melangkah ke final susulan kejayaan mengatasi wakil Malaysia, Chan Peng Soon dan Goh Liu Ying, hari ini.
Peng Soon dan Liu Ying, yang kini menduduki tangga keenam dunia, tewas kepada anak buah Jeremy itu 21-15, 7-21, 21-14 dalam aksi separuh akhir yang berlangsung di Arena Axiata.
Kebangkitan yang dijelmakan Peng Soon-Liu Ying dalam set kedua tidak lama apabila banyak melakukan kesilapan sendiri ketika set penentuan sehingga membuka ruang buat lawan yang menduduki ranking ketiga dunia itu untuk menoktahkan kemenangan.
Liu Ying itu tidak menolak strategi Jeremy selaku jurulatih yang pernah menjadi watak penting dalam pencapaian mereka sebelum ini berhasil menjerat aksi pasangan tuan rumah untuk wakil dari Jepun itu mara ke final.
"Sebenarnya kami sudah banyak kali beraksi dalam keadaan dia bersama pasukan lawan. Boleh rasa taktikal yang dia miliki sangat tepat," ujar Liu Ying.
"Kali ini kami agak terkilan kerana terfikir mengapa sering melakukan kesilapan sama."
Tiada sasaran diletakkan untuk saingan Masters Indonesia minggu depan tatkala pemenang pingat perak Sukan Olimpik Rio 2016 itu mempunyai masa yang singkat untuk mencari jurulatih terbaik sambil gelanggang latihan juga masih belum ditentukan.
"Saya belum fikir lagi. Kami fokus untuk dua kejohanan ini terlebih dahulu," kata Peng Soon.
"Kami bersama Goh V Shem dan Tan Wee Kiong akan berbincang."
Penulis Jemputan
Sat Jan 19 2019
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