Seoul: Out of the four Malaysian mixed doubles pairs, only two successfully advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Korea Open, led by husband-and-wife duo, Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai.
Goh/Lai, seeded fifth, had no trouble defeating Taiwan’s Chen Zhi Ray and Yang Ching Tun, winning in straight sets 21-13, 21-17.
Highlights of Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai vs. Chen Zhi Ray and Yang Ching Tun in the 2024 Korea Open quarter-finals:
What’s more interesting is that at least one Malaysian pair will be in the semifinals tomorrow, as Goh/Lai will face their fellow countrymen, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, in the quarterfinals.
Chen/Toh, the fourth seeds, advanced after winning in straight sets against another Taiwanese pair, Liu Kuang Heng and Jheng Yu Chieh, 21-16, 21-19 in a match that lasted 34 minutes.
According to Goh Soon Huat, they managed to control the game well in both sets and delivered a good performance.
“The most important thing was that we minimized mistakes and played consistently,” said Goh.
Meanwhile, Shevon Jemie Lai also expressed satisfaction with their performance so far, especially since they managed to control their emotions and follow the game plan while playing without a coach on the court.
“We controlled the game well from start to finish. The most important thing is to establish mental strength before the match. I need to prepare myself mentally and know how to set my mindset when I enter the court,” said Lai.
“If things don’t go as planned, we need to know how to stay calm, and most importantly, we need to have a plan in place to control our thoughts and direction before the match,” added Lai.
Meanwhile, sixth seeds Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing were knocked out after losing to Taiwan’s Yang Po Hsuan and Hu Ling Fang, 21-14, 16-21, 14-21.
Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien also lost to the Taiwanese pair Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan, 18-21, 17-21.
The women’s doubles pair – Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan became other Malaysian players that entered the quarterfinals. They will take on Teng Chun Hsun/Yang Chu Yun of Taiwan on Friday.
