(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Brothers Dev Ayyappan and Dhiren Ayyappan matched shot for shot, kept up the pace, and had their strategy to break the attack of Malaysia's Low Hang Yee and Ng Eng Cheong. But in the end, it was still not enough as the Malaysian third-seeded pair won the men's doubles Round of 32 thriller 21-14, 18-21, 21-17 in 47 minutes, closing the second day's action at the Al Ain Masters 2025.

The Ayyappan brothers, the top ranked (87th) men's doubles pair in the UAE team, admitted they made mistakes in the end as they rushed to close the third game, but they knew there are always learning experiences when playing against senior opponents.

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“In the third game, they changed their game plan and started playing faster. When we thought we could close the game and rushed for it, we made mistakes. But there's always something to learn from matches like these,” said former world junior number one Dev, who along with his brother Dhiren progressed to the senior category only this year.

Their senior opponent from Malaysia, Low, even had good things to say about the UAE shuttlers.

“They played quite well. Our game plan didn't work in the second game; they put us under pressure,” Low admitted.

Despite the short period, the brothers have already managed four podiums in their first year playing in the senior category. But they believe the road is long and challenging as well.

“The standard of competition is quite high; and we are still adapting to it,” said Dhiren, as he looks forward to his mixed doubles Round of 16 match pairing with Taabia Khan against German fifth seeds Marvin Seidel and Thuc Phuong Nguyen on Thursday.

Taabia will also be in action in women's doubles alongside Janani Ananthakumar facing Turkiye's fourth seeds Bengisu Ercetin and Nazlıcan Inci.

There will be five other pairs who will compete in Round 16, keeping the hopes alive of the home fans at the Super100 tournament.

Much like many other shuttlers, the move to senior level has been a significant step for the Ayyappan brothers. Adapting to faster gameplay, stronger opponents, and more demanding training methods has tested their skills and stamina as they aim to qualify for the World Championships next year

“Since we moved to senior, the whole training methods have changed. It's getting better slowly, though it's very hard to adapt to the senior standard. Since we are training with better players and better coaches, our game has progressed well. We are taking slow steps into the senior level,” he added.

Both brothers are part of the UAE's elite training programme under Danish coach Michael Noerbaek, who was appointed as High-Performance Director in February 2025 with the objective of preparing the nation for the LA 2028 Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar 2026.

UAE doubles pairs who reached Round of 16:

Mixed Doubles: Dhiren Ayyappan and Taabia Khan

Women's Doubles: Nivedha Srinivasan and Anju Thomas; Prakriti Bharath and Mysha Omer Khan; Sreeyuktha Sreejith Parol and Aleena Qathun; Taabia Khan and Janani Ananthakumar

Men's Doubles: Mohamed Muanis and Mohammed Munawar; P.S. Ravikrishna and Somi Romdhani

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