KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — Still not sharp enough and lacks strength. These are among the main problems plaguing the country’s men’s singles player Ng Tze Yong at the moment.
Former national men’s singles player Ong Ewe Hock thinks Ng needs to be more attack-oriented or come up with ‘killer shots’ to achieve elite status in the future.
He said the shuttler, ranked 28th in the world, cannot rely solely on the ‘rally’ game that he currently applies because it is not enough to match the greatness of other famous stars.
“Tze Yong’s killing side is still lacking. You can see if you compare to top players like Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, when he has a chance he will kill.
“Tze Yong has not arrived yet even though his performance has improved quite a lot over the last two years. I hope he will be more attack-oriented,” Ong said after the launch of the 2023 Ong Ewe Hock Cup, here.
Although confident that Ng will be able to be in the world’s top 10 players in the future, he on the other hand hopes the 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medalist will continue to work hard in training sessions for mental strength and to improve the quality of his game.
Ng, who has recovered after being reported to be unwell, is expected to make his debut at the 2023 All England badminton tournament in Birmingham which will be held from March 14 to March 19.
The 22-year-old will open his All England 2023 campaign against Indonesian opponent Shesar Hiren Rhustavito in the opening round.
In addition to the All England, Ng is expected to play in two more tournaments in Europe, namely the Swiss Open from March 21 to March 26 followed by the Spanish Masters (March 28 to April 2).
The last time the shuttler from Johor played was at the Thailand Masters 2023 in Bangkok from January 31 to February 5 which saw him eliminated in the quarter-finals by Angus Ng Ka Long from Hong Kong, 14 – 21, 20 – 22.
— Bernama
