It's not easy being No. 1: Lee
Published on: Friday, November 18, 2016
Kuala Lumpur: Being the world number one is a proud achievement, but to maintain that position is not easy.Those were the words of Datuk Lee Chong Wei, who is also the world number one, and had ever reigned at the top of the world ranking in the men's singles event for six years.When asked about the performance of the world's number one men's pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong, who lost in the first round of the China Open Wednesday, Chong Wei said the pair should not easily get discouraged.
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V Shem-Wee Kiong had just assumed the world number one ranking on Nov 10, but received a blow when they lost in the first round of the China Open to underdogs, Zhang Nan-Liu Cheng of China."Now they are the world number one pair, I think they need to think more maturely, because when in the highest position, there is pressure because a lot of players want to beat them."I hope they are more focused in the next tournament as it is a new experience being the world's top pair."My advice to them is they need to focus and not think about their opponents," he said to reporters at the National Sports Council (NSC) Complex at Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz here on Thursday. Earlier, he arrived at the complex to give words of encouragement to young badminton players attending the Astro badminton training camp.
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Chong Wei said that once you are ranked the highest in the world, all the opponents will be more aggressive and competitive, even more so when they have a chance against the world number one."Being able to beat the world number one is a victory for them. For the world number one winning in any game is normal because we are the world number one," he said.
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Chong Wei also advised the pair to raise their game in their next match.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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