Malaysian mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai overcame sickness and fatigue to secure a comeback victory in the Malaysia Open 2026.
PROFESSIONAL mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie dug deep to book their place in the second round of the Malaysia Open 2026.
The eighth seeds overturned a first-game loss to edge past Taiwan’s Wu Guan Xun and Lee Chia Hsin 15-21, 21-19, 21-14 in a 56-minute encounter.
Soon Huat admitted the match was a tight affair as he and Shevon, who is also his wife, were not in good condition.
“Right from the first set, we were struggling to find their rhythm, because they were the Taiwanese new pair, and we have yet to be able to read them,” he said.
He revealed that Shevon had suffered food poisoning the night before the match at the Axiata Arena.
The 35-year-old said the situation was complicated by a lack of rest, as he stayed up to take care of his partner.
“She was vomiting all night, and I had to take care of her, so we were both quite exhausted,” Soon Huat told reporters.
He acknowledged the strong support provided by the home crowd, who roared the pair on during their comeback.
Today’s win sets up a second round clash against American duo Presley Smith and Jennie Gai.
The Malaysia Open 2026 will run until 11 January.
