Source: REUTERS/IVAN ALVARADO
[Saba Sports News] The quarter-finals of the 2024 Malaysia Open Mixed
Doubles saw a surprising turn of events. The top-seeded Chinese pair Zheng Si
Wei and Huang Ya Qiong suffered a 1-2 defeat against the Korean duo Kim Won Ho
and Jeong Na Eun. This loss prevented the Chinese pair, who had won the
previous five consecutive championships in mixed doubles at the Malaysian Open,
from achieving further success. During the match, a controversial penalty
occurred. In the deciding game, with the Chinese pair trailing 15-17, a lengthy
53-shot rally took place, with the Chinese pair eventually winning the crucial
point. However, the referee ruled that Huang Yaqiong had committed a foot fault
in the preceding shot, resulting in a foul, and awarded the point to the Korean
team. Despite the referee repeatedly reminding the Chinese team about the foul
and the point being over, both sides were fully focused on the game and failed
to hear the referee’s instructions. The decision to call it a foul came as a
surprise. Zheng Siwei, feeling perplexed, emotionally questioned the referee
about this ruling. Perhaps influenced by this controversial penalty, the
Chinese pair could not mount a successful comeback in the following games.
After the match, Zheng Siwei took to social media to express his
dissatisfaction, directly stating that the referee should take responsibility
for every call made on the court. In the editor’s opinion, criticizing the
referee after the match is not the right course of action, as it creates a
negative impression of the referee team.