Goh-Shevon end winless streak against China for crack at world No. 1 pair
Malaysian mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie have advanced to the China Masters semi-finals after defeating a Chinese duo. They now face the world No. 1 pair, aiming to overcome a difficult historical record against top-tier Chinese opponents.
Why it matters
This victory marks a significant psychological and competitive breakthrough for the Malaysian pair as they attempt to regain form on the international badminton circuit.
PETALING JAYA: Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie have broken one Chinese barrier, but an even bigger one now stands in their way at the China Masters.
A long-awaited win over Chinese opposition, however, has given the mixed doubles pair a timely confidence boost ahead of their semi-final against world No. 1 Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping today.
Soon Huat-Shevon finally got the better of a Chinese pair this year after brushing aside Gao Jiaxuan-Wu Mengying 21-15, 21-11 in the quarter-finals yesterday.
It was a welcome breakthrough for the Malaysians, who had lost all five matches against four different Chinese pairs this year, including to Zhang Chi-Cheng Xing at the World Championships in New Delhi two weeks ago.
“Actually, we did not expect to come this far because looking at the draw, it was not easy. I would say it was quite a tough draw,” said Shevon in a post-match interview with BWF.
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