National mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto did not mince his words after witnessing a complete collapse from reigning world champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei at the Malaysia Masters.

The world No. 4 pair suffered a stunning 21-18, 21-16 quarter-final defeat against China’s scratch combination, Gao Jia Xuan and Wei Ya Xin, at the Unifi Arena in Bukit Jalil.

The loss marked a disappointing home campaign for Malaysia’s mixed doubles department, with no pairs managing to cross the quarter-final threshold. A deeply frustrated Nova took full responsibility for the poor showing but sharply criticized Tang Jie and Ee Wei’s lacklustre and directionless performance on court.

“Overall, the mixed doubles results here are not good. We have to admit they were bad,” Nova said.

“I personally apologise and am ready to take responsibility. The first thing I noticed today, especially from Tang Jie, was that they looked empty and unfocused. They did not lose because the Chinese pair played exceptionally well. In my opinion, their opponents were also below par. During the crucial points, our players seemed to play without ideas and without soul.”

Tang Jie and Ee Wei entered the tournament well-rested as the second seeds, having skipped the recent Thomas and Uber Cup Finals as well as the Thailand Open to undergo a month-long training block.

Nova vehemently rejected any excuses regarding a lack of match rhythm or mounting home-court pressure, suggesting that a lack of hunger might be creeping into the elite pair’s mindset.

“When it comes to major tournaments, especially a home event like the Malaysia Masters where we are aiming for the title, one month of preparation should have been enough,” Nova added.

“Those excuses cannot exist at this level. They are already earning good money, and perhaps they have become too comfortable financially. As for training, I do not think there is any issue. You cannot keep talking about being nervous or needing to feel relaxed. If you want to become a top player, you have to overcome those challenges.”

The players themselves offered no resistance to the criticism, completely agreeing that they fell drastically short of expectations. Ee Wei admitted that their execution was uncharacteristically poor, giving credit to Wei Ya Xin’s experience but laying the blame solely on their own shoulders.

“I think after more than a month’s break, this was our first tournament to find our rhythm again. But there are no excuses. A loss is still a loss,” Ee Wei conceded.

“It wasn’t because Ya Xin’s fine form with her scratch partner. It was our own mistake. I don’t think we even reached 20 per cent of our real level.”

Tang Jie expressed deep disappointment over missing a golden opportunity to claim the title, especially after top-seeded Thai pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran withdrew early in the tournament.

“Of course, we are a little disappointed because this was a match we expected to win,” Tang Jie said. “But we need to look at our own problems, especially our attack. I think that was our biggest issue today.”

Nova plans to hold immediate, intensive discussions with the duo to realign their focus. Tang Jie and Ee Wei will face a swift test of character as they look to redeem themselves at the Singapore Open starting this Tuesday, followed by the Thailand Open from June 2–7.