Changzhou: The World No. 12 men’s doubles pair, Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin of Malaysia, are just one step away from winning the China Open.
Highlights of Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin vs. Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Daniel Marthin in the 2024 China Open semifinals:
Goh/Izzuddin continued their strong form, defeating Indonesia’s Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Daniel Marthin 21-14, 24-22 in the semifinals at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Center on Saturday.
The first set saw both pairs playing a balanced game, with the Malaysian duo initially trailing 7-10 before catching up and taking the lead at 11-10.
The Malaysian pair then took control, playing more efficiently and making strategic moves that outplayed their opponents, ultimately winning the set 21-14.
The second set was more intense, with both pairs exchanging serves and tying at 22-22. However, Izzuddin and Goh remained calm under pressure, clinching the victory with a 24-22 scoreline.
This is the first time Goh and Izzuddin have reached a Super 1000 final, and it marks their third final appearance this season after winning the Japan Open last month and finishing as runners-up at the Badminton Asia Championships in April.
Malaysia has only won the men’s doubles title at the China Open once, with Jalani and Razif Sidek claiming the title in 1989.
Goh/Izzuddin will face China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in Sunday’s final.
The victory also allowed them to avenge their defeat to the same Indonesian pair in the second round of the Hong Kong Open last week.
“In terms of preparation, we mentally approached the game with a ‘nothing to lose’ mindset. They beat us in our previous encounter, which may have added pressure on them,” said Goh Sze Fei.
Goh Sze Fei also emphasized that communication between them was the key to their remarkable achievements so far, including reaching their first Super 1000 final at the China Open.
“I believe the key to this success is our communication. It’s how we handle things when we are not playing well,” added Goh.
The men’s doubles champions will take home a lucrative cash prize of US$148,000 (RM622,086), while the runners-up will receive US$70,000 (RM294,230).
In the mixed doubles, Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai could make history on Sunday as Malaysia’s first mixed doubles pair to win the China Open, after securing their spot in the final.
The world No. 12 ranked pair had no trouble defeating China’s Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi 21-18, 21-18 in the semifinals and will face China’s World No. 3 Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping in the final.
In the men’s singles semifinals, Japan’s World No. 6 Kodai Naraoka swept past Thailand’s World No. 7 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the Paris Olympic silver medalist, with a score of 21-17, 21-13, securing his spot in the final. Naraoka will take on World No. 25 Weng Hong Yang of China next.
The women’s singles competition saw Japan’s World No. 9 Aya Ohori defeated by China’s World No. 5 Wang Zhiyi with scores of 18-21, 15-21 in the semifinals, suffering her fifth consecutive loss against Wang. This result also ended her chances of facing her 18-year-old compatriot Tomoka Miyazaki in Sunday’s final.
China already secured gold in the women’s doubles event as Li Wen Mei/Zhang Shu Xian will set up an all-Chinese battle with Li Yi Jing/Luo Xu Min in the final.
