MALAYSIA’S mixed doubles duo, Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai, narrowly missed out on a place in the Japan Masters final after a hard-fought loss to Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran.
The Thai pair triumphed 18-21, 22-20, 21-14 in a thrilling semi-final clash that lasted over an hour at the Kumamoto Masters.
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The world No. 10 Malaysians had previously beaten the Thai duo at the Finland Open earlier this year.
Despite a confident start, winning the opening game 21-18 in just 18 minutes, Soon Huat-Shevon struggled to maintain their momentum.
Dechapol and Supissara turned the tide in the second game, leading throughout to secure a 22-20 victory in 24 minutes, and carried that dominance into the decider, sealing the match with a commanding 21-14 finish.
The Thai pair will now face the winners of the other semi-final between China’s Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui and France’s Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue in tomorrow’s final.
Meanwhile, players at the Japan Masters are competing fiercely for a coveted top-eight spot in the World Tour rankings, which would secure qualification for the prestigious World Tour Finals (WTF) in Hangzhou, China, from Dec 11 to 15.
With their semi-final appearance, Soon Huat-Shevon are likely to have solidified their place at the WTF.
Currently ranked No. 3 in the World Tour mixed doubles standings, the pair will have one last opportunity to bolster their position at the China Masters next week, the final event offering ranking points ahead of the season-ending tournament.
