Tough fight ahead: Goh Soon Huat (left) and Shevon Lai Jemie will meet another China pair, world No. 5 Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin, today.
PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie survived a minor crisis to march into the quarter-finals of the Indian Open in New Delhi yesterday.
Having learnt well from their past experience, Soon Huat-Shevon managed to stave off a spirited challenge from new China combination Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi in the first game to secure a 26-24, 21-10 win at the K.D. Jhadav Indoor Hall.
Runaway leads can make players lose focus at times but in the Malaysians’ case, over-eagerness to bag the first game almost spoiled their party.
Tough fight ahead: Goh Soon Huat (left) and Shevon Lai Jemie will meet another China pair, world No. 5 Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin, today.
Soon Huat-Shevon led 7-1, then 12-7 and were at 20-18 before the China pair drew level to pile the pressure on the Malaysians.
The world No. 14 were forced to save two game points before winning 26-24 against the 334th-ranked Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi.
It was the China pair’s second tournament together but Cheng Xing is a quality player as he was ranked No. 26 with Chen Fanghui last year.
Shevon was relieved that they were able to compose themselves better these days and avoid unnecessary arguments when mistakes crop up.
“We were in the lead but got a little too excited to finish off the game and so we started changing our game plan which suited the opponents,” said Shevon.
“But thankfully, we managed to gather ourselves back in the end to finish the game. Things like this happen but we are practical these days.
“We have so many bitter experience and have a lot of mistakes which had cost us dearly in the past. That’s part of the journey.”
Soon Huat-Shevon will meet another China pair, world No. 5 Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin, today.
Zhenbang-Yaxin defeated Yuki Kaneko-Misaki Matsutomo of Japan 21-14, 21-13 in the second round.
“We will just go in and do our best for every point again,” added Shevon.
However, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei were shown the exit in the second round when they lost 19-21, 16-21 to Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai in 51 minutes.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei secured seven straight points to race from 12-16 to 18-16 in the first game but could not finish the job and the former world champions from Thailand took full control of the match after that.
It was also a good day for former world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik as they beat Kenya Mitsuhashi-Hiroki Okamura of Japan 21-10, 21-14 to set up a match against Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi of China.
Yuchen-Xuanyi prevented an all-Malaysian quarter-final clash after fending off a strong fight from Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani before winning 21-19, 17-21, 21-17 in another second round match.
Women’s doubles world No. 12 Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah were unable to match world No. 4 Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Chida of Japan in the second round and fell 16-21, 13-21 in 44 minutes.
Professional pair Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien also crashed out when they lost 11-21, 21-15, 21-10 to Hong Kong’s Yeung Nga Ting-Yeung Pui Lam.
RESULTS
SECOND ROUND
Malaysians unless stated
Men’s doubles: Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi (Chn) bt Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani 21-19, 17-21, 21-17; Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bt Kenya Mitsuhashi-Hiroki Okamura (Jpn) 21-10, 21-14.
Women’s doubles: Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Chida (Jpn) bt Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah 21-16, 21-13; Yeung Nga Ting-Yeung Pui Lam (HK) bt Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien 21-11, 15-21, 21-10.
Mixed doubles: Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie bt Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi (Chn) 26-24, 21-10; Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) bt Chen Tangjie-Toh Ee Wei 21-19, 21-16.
