Yew Sin-Ee Yi find new strength with age and Ohori's support
Despite recording a confident 21-16, 21-16 win over Thailand's world No. 13 Kittinupong Kedren-Dechapol Puavaranukroh in just 30 minutes on Thursday, the world No. 28 Malaysians insist they're still a work in progress.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi, who turned heads with a surprise semi-final run at last week's Japan Open, are showing signs of a resurgence — fuelled by tactical tweaks, better shuttle control, and perhaps a little inspiration from off the court.
"We're not really happy with our performance yet," admitted Yew Sin.
"We're still trying to improve with every match. We've been testing out some new strategies for a while now, and they're only just starting to take shape, but the results are beginning to show.
"After this, we'll evaluate where we can improve and how to step up again tomorrow (Friday). Adjusting to the draught in the hall was also key. It really came down to who could control the shuttle better."
Momentum appears to be on their side, especially with Yew Sin riding high on personal happiness after tying the knot with former Japanese world No. 7 Aya Ohori in Melaka last month.
Ohori's courtside presence — particularly at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium during their Japan Open heroics — has been seen as a good-luck charm, and their renewed spirit on court is hard to miss.
For Ee Yi, their evolution is a matter of necessity.
"Our new approach is something both of us have worked hard on," said Ee Yi.
"We're getting older, so we need to adapt. Hopefully, these changes will help us improve even more moving forward."
That adaptability will be put to the test on Friday, when they face their toughest challenge yet — a quarter-final clash with India's reigning Asian Games champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty.
Although the Indian world No. 12 pair lead the head-to-head 6-3, Yew Sin-Ee Yi's current form and fearless mindset suggest this encounter could go either way.
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