Tokyo: Malaysia will have representatives in two Japan Open semifinals after Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani advanced in men’s doubles and Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin continued their giant-killing run in mixed doubles.
World No. 6 Sze Fei and Izzuddin survived a three-game quarterfinal against United States pair Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith, while Jimmy and Su Yin produced another major upset by defeating Denmark’s world No. 3 combination Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje.
The two victories kept Malaysia firmly involved in the closing stages of the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Overcome Tough American Challenge
Fifth seeds Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani were pushed hard before defeating Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith 21-18, 15-21, 21-13 in 50 minutes.
The Malaysians made the stronger start and stayed composed during the closing stages of the opening game to take it 21-18.
Chen and Smith responded in the second game, increasing their attacking pressure and forcing the Malaysians into more defensive situations. The Americans took the game 21-15 to send the quarterfinal into a decider.
Sze Fei and Izzuddin regained control in the third game. They played with greater urgency, created more opportunities from the service situation and pulled away to complete the victory 21-13.
The result extended their unbeaten record against Chen and Smith to four victories from four meetings.
Sze Fei acknowledged that the Americans had made the contest difficult, particularly during the first two games when they repeatedly stayed close to the Malaysian pair.
He was relieved that he and Izzuddin managed to respond when the pressure increased and find a way through the challenge.
Izzuddin felt that maintaining complete concentration was the key to their victory, especially after losing momentum in the second game.
- Category: Men’s doubles
- Seeds: Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin Rumsani were seeded fifth
- Result: Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin Rumsani of Malaysia defeated Chen Zhi Yi/Presley Smith of the United States 21-18, 15-21, 21-13
- Match duration: 50 minutes
- Head-to-head record: Sze Fei-Izzuddin lead 4-0
World No. 1 Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae Await
A considerably tougher assignment awaits Sze Fei and Izzuddin in the semifinals, where they will meet South Korea’s world No. 1 pair Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae.
The Korean world champions advanced with a commanding 21-13, 21-10 victory over Malaysia’s young combination Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai in 33 minutes.
Kim and Seo controlled the quarterfinal from the opening exchanges and gave Khai Xing and Aaron few opportunities to establish their preferred attacking rhythm.
Despite that result, the Japan Open was still an encouraging final tournament for Khai Xing and Aaron before their scheduled partnership changes. They had earlier upset China’s seventh seeds Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi before reaching the quarterfinals.
The career record between Sze Fei-Izzuddin and Kim-Seo is tied at two victories each, giving the semifinal additional intrigue.
The Malaysians can also draw confidence from their most recent meeting. Sze Fei and Izzuddin defeated the Korean pair in the Indonesia Open semifinals last month before going on to win the title.
- Semifinal: Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin Rumsani of Malaysia vs. Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae of South Korea
- Current head-to-head: 2-2
- Previous meeting: Sze Fei-Izzuddin won at the Indonesia Open
Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin Stun World No. 3 Danish Pair
Jimmy Wong and Cheng Su Yin continued to build their reputation as giant killers by eliminating Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje from the mixed doubles competition.
The Malaysian pair defeated the world No. 3 Danes 21-17, 21-17 in only 39 minutes to secure their first Japan Open semifinal appearance.
Jimmy and Su Yin entered the quarterfinal with confidence after defeating France’s sixth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue in the previous round.
They carried that momentum into the match against Christiansen and Bøje, maintaining their composure during the fast exchanges and preventing the Indonesia Open champions from controlling the front court.
The Malaysians created a steady advantage in both games and remained disciplined when the Danish pair attempted to close the gap.
The victory was Jimmy and Su Yin’s third success against a top-10 pair since they began playing together, underlining the rapid progress of the relatively new partnership.
- Category: Mixed doubles
- Result: Jimmy Wong/Cheng Su Yin of Malaysia defeated Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Bøje of Denmark 21-17, 21-17
- Match duration: 39 minutes
- Achievement: First Japan Open and Super 750 semifinal appearance
- Top-10 victories: Three since Jimmy and Su Yin formed their partnership
Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet Next for Jimmy-Su Yin
Jimmy and Su Yin will face Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet for a place in the mixed doubles final.
The experienced Hong Kong pair, ranked world No. 8, reached the semifinals after eliminating China’s Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin 21-17, 21-13.
Tang and Tse bring years of experience at the highest level, but Jimmy and Su Yin will enter the semifinal believing they can produce another upset.
The Malaysians have already beaten two seeded European pairs in Tokyo and have shown that they are comfortable during close, pressure-filled matches.
Their ability to remain patient during longer rallies while still attacking decisively from the front court could be crucial against the experienced Hong Kong combination.
- Semifinal: Jimmy Wong/Cheng Su Yin of Malaysia vs. Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong
- Tang-Tse quarterfinal result: Defeated Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin of China 21-17, 21-13
Jimmy-Su Yin’s Road to the Japan Open Semifinals
Jimmy and Su Yin began their Japan Open campaign with a dramatic three-game victory over Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara.
The Malaysians recovered from an early 2-10 deficit in the opening game before winning the match 21-19, 11-21, 21-19.
They followed that result by defeating French sixth seeds Gicquel and Delrue 23-21, 24-22 in the round of 16.
Their straight-game win over Christiansen and Bøje was their most convincing performance of the tournament so far and confirmed that their earlier upsets were not isolated results.
- First round: Defeated Yuichi Shimogami/Sayaka Hobara of Japan 21-19, 11-21, 21-19
- Second round: Defeated Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue of France 23-21, 24-22
- Quarterfinal: Defeated Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Bøje of Denmark 21-17, 21-17
Japan Open Women’s Doubles Semifinals Confirmed
In women’s doubles, Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Yin-Hui and Lin Jhih Yun will face South Korea’s sixth seeds Kim Hye Jeong and Kong Hee Yong for a place in the final.
The other semifinal will feature Japan’s fourth seeds Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto against China’s second seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian.
- Women’s doubles semifinal: Hsu Yin-Hui/Lin Jhih Yun of Chinese Taipei vs. Kim Hye Jeong/Kong Hee Yong of South Korea
- Women’s doubles semifinal: Yuki Fukushima/Mayu Matsumoto of Japan vs. Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian of China
Malaysia Keeps Two Japan Open Title Hopes Alive
The performances of Sze Fei-Izzuddin and Jimmy-Su Yin provided more positive badminton news for Malaysia after a tournament filled with both encouraging victories and difficult eliminations.
Sze Fei and Izzuddin remain one of Malaysia’s strongest title hopes, but they must once again overcome the world’s top-ranked pair to return to the Japan Open final.
Jimmy and Su Yin, meanwhile, have emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise stories. Three determined victories have carried them from the opening round into the final four of one of the BWF World Tour’s most competitive events.
Both Malaysian pairs now stand one victory away from Sunday’s finals, but their semifinal opponents possess considerable experience and quality.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin will try to repeat their recent victory over Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae, while Jimmy-Su Yin will attempt to add Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet to their growing list of high-profile victims in Tokyo.
