KUALA LUMPUR: National mixed doubles professional pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie lived up to expectations when they edged India’s Sathish Kumar Karunakaran-Aadya Variyath 21-18, 21-19 to march into the second round of the 2025 Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) in Ningbo, China today.
The third-seeded husband-and-wife combination from Malaysia will face either Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran or Julius Villabrille-Airah Mae Nicole Albo of the Philippines in the second round.
There was also good news for another Malaysian mixed doubles pair of Yap Roy King-Valeree Siow when they overcame India’s Rohan Kapoor-Gaddhe Ruthvika Shivani 18-21, 21-17, 21-17 to make the second round.
Roy King-Valeree will face either Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito or Macau’s Leong Iok Chong-Ng Wen Chi in the second round on Thursday.
Earlier, Justin Hoh and Wong Ling Ching cleared their qualifying round matches to reach the first round proper in the men’s and women’s singles respectively.
Justin advanced after topping Group A by defeating Iran’s Amirhossein Hasani 21-6, 21-14 and Filipino Jewel Angelo Albo 21-14, 21-9.
Justin’s reward is a first-round clash against top South Korean player Jeon Hyeok Jin tomorrow.
Ling Ching, meanwhile, also topped the women’s singles Group A with two wins – a walkover from Hong Kong’s Happy Lo and a 21-16, 21-11 victory over Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzar.
World number 103 Ling Ching will face Indonesia’s Komang Ayu Cahya Dewi for a place in the second round.
However, two Malaysian mixed doubles pairs – Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin and Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sin – suffered an early exit.
Pang Ron-Su Yin lost 21-15, 12-21, 11-21 to India’s Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto while Tien Ci-Chiew Sin went down 16-21, 14-21 to Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami-Sayaka Hobara.
