KUALA LUMPUR: National professional men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani kicked off their China Open 2024 campaign on a positive note by defeating the host duo Chen Bo Yang-Liu Yi in the first round today.
However, it was not an easy task as the world’s 12th-ranked pair had to work hard before overcoming Bo Yang-Liu in a grueling rubber-set match 17-21, 21-12, 21-19 in 53 minutes.
Nur Izzuddin admitted that despite the win, he was not satisfied with their performance today.
“I think today was not our best performance. We felt quite pressured at the start, but we are glad that we managed to come back in the second and third sets,” he said in a recording shared by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) today.
Awaiting Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin in the second round on Thursday are their compatriots Wan Muhammad Arif Shaharuddin Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King, who crushed U.S. pair Chen Zhi Yi-Presley Smith 21-11 and 21-12.
Also advancing to the second round are the national duo Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, who defeated the Chinese pair Xie Hao Nan-Zeng Wei Han in straight sets, 21-17, 21-19.
They will face the winners of another first-round match involving the Malaysian duo Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri, who are set to meet former world champions Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Sung Jae of South Korea tomorrow.
In the mixed doubles event, Malaysian professional pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Jemie Lai advanced to the second round after defeating Singaporean pair, Terry Hee Yong Kai and Jessica Tan Wei Han, 21-13, 21-15.
They will face Thailand’s Supak Jomkoh-Supissara Paewsampran, who received a bye, in the second round.
Meanwhile, the hopes of the country’s sole representative in the women’s singles, Goh Jin Wei, to progress to the next round were dashed after she fell to Taiwan’s Sung Shuo Yun in 9-21, 21-12, 8-21.
Besides Jin Wei, national professional men’s doubles pair Low Hang Yee-Ng Eng Cheong also bowed out in the first round today after conceding to experienced England pair Ben Lane and Sean Vendy, 21-18, 19-21, 15-21.
Meanwhile, the hopes of Malaysian badminton fans of seeing Paris 2024 bronze medalist Lee Zii Jia advance to the second round were unfulfilled after he lost to Japan’s Koki Watanabe in straight sets, 21-15, 21-2.
“As you can see my condition is not there yet, I have to keep working to get to my top level.
“To be honest my body condition is quite weird (after Olympics), a lot of injuries came about and I don’t know why I can’t get 100 per cent recovery. But it’s getting better that why I can still compete,” he said in a recording shared by Badminton World Federation (BWF) today.
