In good hands: (from left) Shevon, Kok Siang and Soon Huat pose after the Swiss Open final.
PETALING JAYA: Independent mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie are starting to adapt well to the coaching style of Teo Kok Siang.
Kok Siang had joined as independent coach in January.
Despite initially struggling for form in the beginning of the year, Soon Huat-Shevon did well to bounce back when they finished as runners-up in the Swiss Open last month.
Before their run to the final in Basel, the duo’s best result was reaching the quarter-finals of the Indonesian Masters in January.
Soon Huat-Shevon’s much improved showing in Basel propelled them from No. 11 to No. 8 in the latest world rankings.
“We are working well with coach Kok Siang,” said Shevon.
“He just joined us in the beginning of the year and there were a few things we needed to adjust.
“I was really upset with myself after my performance in the All-England last month where we lost in the first round and Kok Siang supported Soon Huat and I a lot and this helped us improve.
“Kok Siang has a lot of good ideas to take our game to a higher level and focused on our combination play.
“Soon Huat is right handed while I’m left, so he’s trying to help us turn this into an advantage.
“He’s also trying to find more strategies for us to improve our game.”
Shevon believes that the pair’s rise in rankings is timely with the one-year qualification period for the 2024 Paris Olympics set to begin next month.
“This is a boost for me and Soon Huat,” said Shevon.
“Being in the top eight means we will be seeded in tournaments and this will help us avoid other seeded pairs in the early rounds.
“Our goal now is to maintain our position.”
Soon Huat-Shevon’s next assignment will be the Asian Championships from April 25-30 in Dubai, where they play Taiwan’s world No. 23 Ye Hong Wei-Lee Chia Hsin in the opener.
