KUALA LUMPUR: Having to pick themselves up after every first round match was never easy but Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing are beginning to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
The national mixed doubles, who are on a comeback trail, reached their third quarter-finals this season, when they saw off Indonesia's Akbar Bintang Cahyono-Annisa Saufika 21-13, 21-10 in the second round of the New Zealand Open earlier today (Thursday).
After suffering four first round exits on the trot earlier this season, and dropping out of the world top 30, the former national No 1 are starting to pick up the pieces.
First they reached the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open before making the final of the Singapore Open, both just last month.
Now ranked World No 20, Kian Meng-Pei Jing are beginning to believe that their Olympic dreams are far from over.
"It was never easy for us, every time we lost, we had to pick ourselves up.
"Slowly we are regaining our confidence, slowly, we are playing much better, but we do not want to jinx our fine performances so far.
"We want to ride on this momentum, work hard and try to play our best each time we're on court," said Pei Jing.
The Malaysia No 3 pair will face 2016 Rio Olympic Games silver medallists, Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying, next.
Peng Soon-Liu Ying, who have been plying their trade as professionals since the start of the season, had earlier defeated Kiwis Edward Lau-Alyssa Tagle, 21-17, 21-15.
"I am actually quite excited to play them (Peng Soon-Liu Ying), because it's been a very long time since we both squared off in an international tournament.
"We will prepare ourselves well for the clash," added Pei Jing.
The last time the two pairs met was at the Malaysia Masters three years ago, with Kian Meng-Pei Jing winning the tie.
There was more good news for Malaysian mixed doubles, as Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai also checked into the last eight, following a 21-10, 21-19 win over Lee Jhe Huei-Hsu Ya Ching of Taiwan.
Soon Huat-Shevon will play Indonesia's Praveen Jordan-Melati Daeva Oktavianti next.
Other Malaysian shuttlers who cleared the second round include men's singles, Lee Zii Jia, and doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi and independent pair, Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong.
It was the end of the road, however, for women's doubles, Vivian Hoo-Yap Cheng Wen and former BAM men's singles, Chong Wei Feng.