KUALA LUMPUR: Women's doubles shuttler Anna Cheong believes she's not far from returning to form following a major knee injury that sidelined her between September 2022 and August last year.
That was the takeaway for the 25-year-old despite falling in the first round of the Malaysia Open today.
Anna and partner, Teoh Mei Xing, found South Korea's second seeds Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee too hot to handle, going down 21-14, 21-13 in 43 minutes.
It was certainly not how Anna-Mei Xing would want to mark their return to the home tournament, especially after having won the hearts of local fans at the Axiata Arena the last time they played in the back-to-back Malaysia Open and Malaysia Masters in June and July of 2022. They were quarter-finalists on both occasions.
At the Malaysia Open, Anna-Mei Xing upset the formbook by ousting then-world No. 3 So Hee and Shin Sheung Chan in the last 16. A week later, they stunned Japan's two-time world champions Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara.
Little did Anna know at that time that the pair's promising run would be disrupted by an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in her right knee, requiring surgery in October 2022.
It wasn't until August of last year that Anna-Mei Xing made their comeback at the World Championships.
The journey has not been entirely smooth since then, as they struggled to regain their form. Despite Anna's ongoing recovery, she is still far from being in ideal condition.
However, Anna was confident that the worst was behind her.
"The injury no longer bothers me, it's significantly better than in the last few months," she said.
"In terms of movement, it's been quite smooth. Most importantly, I no longer feel any pain. I'm really pleased with that.
"A heartfelt shout-out to those who went above and beyond to care for my condition and ensure that I could return to the court at a near-optimal level."
Meanwhile, Mei Xing conceded that So Hee-Ha Na, who broke Malaysian hearts by clinching the Malaysia Masters title last year after defeating Pearly-Thinaah, are simply head and shoulders above them in terms of speed and power.
"We just couldn't match their strength and pace. Despite our attempts to execute several strategies to win points, it was to no avail, as they could easily read our game and counter us.
"We have plenty to learn from the world's best."