Malaysian men’s doubles shuttler Kang Khai Xing is setting his sights on at least a semi-final appearance at the upcoming Malaysia Masters, aiming to capitalize on his growing confidence and improved partnership with Aaron Tai. The world No. 26 pair have made notable progress this season, highlighted by a morale-boosting win over India’s world No. 4 duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty at the All England.
Khai Xing and Aaron Tai will begin their home tournament against Taiwan’s Lai Po Yu and Tsai Fu Cheng (world No. 46), with a potential second-round clash against Malaysian compatriots Wan Arif Junaidi and Yap Roy King (world No. 16) on the horizon.
Reflecting on last year’s controversial second-round exit, Khai Xing said he is approaching this year’s event with a pressure-free mindset: “Our target is the quarter-finals or semi-finals. We just want to play our best and enjoy the game because we are playing at our home ground. If we face Arif-Roy King, it will be just like training… Whoever wins, as long as Malaysia wins, it is good.”
Khai Xing emphasized that communication and tactical understanding have been the biggest areas of improvement for the pair in 2026. “Physically and attacking-wise there is improvement too, but communication is the biggest one,” he explained.
Transitioning from the junior to senior ranks hasn’t been easy for the 2024 world junior champion, who admitted it took time to regain confidence and manage expectations. “Every player will go through struggles and we need to find solutions to overcome them. When I was going through difficult moments and feeling down, it took quite a long time to break through and regain my confidence.”
Now, with a calmer mindset, Khai Xing is taking a step-by-step approach to his career goals, with a top-15 world ranking as his primary target for the season.
Photo: BWF/Badmintonphoto@Badmintonphoto
