TheStar PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's top woman doubles shuttler Wong Pei Tty can expect double trouble in the US$180,000 Japan Open starting today at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo. After virtually assuring places for both the women's doubles and mixed doubles events in the World Championships at Los Angeles in August, the 23-year-old Pei Tty, is seeking for a dose of confidence at the Japan Open. But the 23-year-old has been slapped with tough openers in both events. In the women's doubles with Chin Eei Hui, they will meet Japan's best pair of Kumiko Ogura-Reiko Shiota in the first round. In the same quarter are Germany's top pair of Nicole Grether-Juliane Schenk and world number four T. Saralee-C. Sathinee of Thailand. Pei Tty-Eei Hui are currently ranked sixth in the world. In the mixed doubles, the world number 15th Pei Tty and Koo Kien Keat are in the same quarter with fourth seed Sudket Prapakamol-Saralee of Thailand, Denmark's seventh seed Rikke Olsen-Carsten Morgensen and Thailand Open runner-up Thomas Laybourn-Kamilla Rytter Juhl. “The draw is tough for me in both the doubles events. But there is a better chance in the women's doubles. I will be satisfied if Eei Hui and I can reach at least the quarter-finals,†said Pei Tty. “It will be difficult to beat the Thais if we are to meet them. “They are also our arch-rivals in the SEA Games. We will give them a run for their money if we are up against them.†After training only once with Kien Keat prior to the Japan Open, Pei Tty has her reservation in the mixed doubles. “This is only the second international tournament for us this year. We lost in the second round in the German Open. “The Japan Open draw is tough from the first round onwards. It will be great if we can at least clear the first round,†she added. The German Open results was the only smear since they teamed up as a pair in November last year. In the China Open they reached the quarter-finals. Their other results were Singapore Open (runners-up), Taiwan Open (champions), and Indonesian Open (semi-finalists). China are expected to bag the women's doubles title through one of their pairs – top seed Yang Wei-Zhang Jiewen, Gao Ling-Huang Sui, Zhang Dan-Zhang Yawen and second seed Wei Yili-Zhao Tingting. It will be an open race in the mixed doubles and the contenders are top seed Nathan Robertson-Gail Emms of England, second seed Jens Eriksen-Mette Scholdager of Denmark, Zhang Jun-Gao Ling of China, Thailand Open champion Lee Jae-jin-Lee Hyo-jung and Prapakamol-Saralee.
