GOH Soon Huat and Shevon Lai fell short in their bid for the China Open mixed doubles title, losing to world No. 3 pair Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dongping in a hard-fought final in Changzhou.
The world No. 12 Malaysian duo lost 16-21, 21-14, 21-17 to the Chinese pair at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in a match that lasted one hour and 12 minutes, according to Free Malaysia Today.
Goh and Lai started strong, securing the first game 21-16 in 20 minutes but they couldn’t maintain their momentum in the second game, which went the Chinese’s way, 21-14.
The deciding game was closely contested, with both pairs exchanging leads where Feng and Huang ultimately pulled ahead, reaching match point at 20-11.
The Malaysians mounted a comeback, saving six match points, but it was not enough to overcome their opponents.
This victory marks the Chinese duo’s third World Tour title this year.
It was the Malaysians’ first appearance in a Super 1000 final, adding to their previous wins at the Swiss Open and Malaysian Masters.
