Two-time Olympic champion Wang Chi-Lin is thrilled by the potential of his partnership with Chiu Hsiang Chieh, his new sidekick post the retirement of Lee Yang.

Lee stepped aside following their gold medal success at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games but Wang has returned to action just 16 days later at the DAIHATSU Japan Open 2024.

And the new chapter got off to a flyer – Wang and the 21-year-old Chiu swept past sixth-seeded home favourites Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi in straight games at the Yokohama Arena on Tuesday.

“I’m filled with excitement as it’s a new start. I was looking forward to going out on to the court and fortunately we played well enough to beat the local heroes,” said Wang after the 33-minute 21-16 21-13 win.

“My partner is young and has good power and speed. We managed to push them to the backcourt often so we could smash a lot and force them into mistakes.”

Chiu overcame early jitters to complete the debut assignment.

“I was nervous pre-match but I told myself to focus and not overthink. Once we got going, with an experienced partner like Chi-Lin, it went pretty smoothly,” he said.

Although the combo is just a single match old, Wang, who doesn’t see himself taking on a leadership role, is optimistic of a fruitful adventure with Chiu.

“I only trained with him three days before coming here. But I still had this good feeling from winning in Paris so I was able to step out with courage and confidence,” said the 29-year-old.

“With Lee, I covered the back court a lot but Chiu has a strong smash so I can move to the front more. I just need to practice and sharpen my front court skills, to allow him the chance to attack.

“Both of us are leaders and we can both be aggressive. For now, we must focus on being offensive as Chiu isn’t as experienced as Lee. Use our speed and power to make every pair afraid of us.”

Chiu concurred: “I’m young, my focus is on maximising my strengths – speed, power and intensity. I look forward to having a strong offensive game (together).”

→ Results (Day 1)

→ Order of play (Day 2)