Fairuzizuan and Zakry hit rocky patch in their partnership

Friday, 31 July 2009

By RAJES PAUL Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari and Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif’s partnership has hit a rocky patch. And it is threatening to derail their hopes of winning the men’s doubles title at next month’s World Championships, which is less than 10 days away. Mixed fortune: Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari and Wong Pei Tty in action en route to the mixed doubles title. Pei Tty later paired up with Chin Eei Hui to win the women’s doubles gold medal in the Mini Olympic Games at the Stadium Juara in Bukit Kiara yesterday. And the duo are set to hold clear-the-air talks with national doubles coach Rexy Mainaky either today or tomorrow to settle their differences ahead of the world meet, which will be held in Hyderabad from Aug 10-16. It was evident that something was wrong with their two-year partnership when they went down tamely – 18-21, 14-21 – to back-up shuttlers Goh Wei Shem-Vountus Indra Mawan in the quarter-finals of the Mini Olympic Games at Stadium Juara in Bukit Kiara on Wednesday. They did not complement each other and there was no semblance of understanding in their game at all in that defeat. In fact, the pair have been struggling to regain their form since their good showing in the semi-final tie against China in the Thomas Cup Finals in Jakarta last year. This year, their best results in the Super Series events have been quarter-finals finishes at the All-England and Indonesian Open. Fairuzizuan admitted that his partnership with Zakry had hit a rocky patch. But he is determined to stick with Zakry until the day he calls it quits. “We are not as compatible as before. We do not seem to have the same understanding when we are on court. Both of us are at a loss as to what has gone wrong (with our game),” said Fairuzizuan yesterday. “Sometimes I play my own game and Zakry his own. And sometimes we complement each other so well. “Zakry was injured for a while (early this year). He is an explosive player and does most of the attacking. But, due to injury, he has slowed down. I am a setter and I found it difficult to go on the attack. “I think this has affected our performances as a pair this year. But Zakry and I have come a long way and we are determined to work things out.” Fairuzizuan hopes that things would change for the better once he and Zakry discuss their problems with Rexy. “I want this partnership with Zakry to work. I have no plans to go separate ways after the world meet. I want to play with Zakry until I retire,” said Fairuzizuan. “I want to put this behind us and work towards doing well in the world meet.” The eighth-seeded Fairuzizuan-Zakry are in the same half with top seeds and defending champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia in the world meet. Barring an upset, the duo are likely to face Markis-Hendra in the quarter-finals. “Zakry and I have practically crashed out in the quarter-finals of most of the tournaments this year. We hope that we will be able to make a breakthrough in this world meet,” said Fairuzizuan. Besides Fairuzizuan-Zakry, Malaysia’s three other Hyderabad-bound pairs are second seeds Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah and Chan Chong Ming-Chew Choon Eng. Courtesy of The Star