KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s mixed doubles duo, Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai, were thrilled to secure their first-ever victory over China’s Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin in today’s China Open quarter-finals.
After six previous attempts, the pair finally broke the streak, making the win all the more satisfying.
Although the scoreline suggests an easy win, with Soon Huat and Shevon needing just 34 minutes to overcome the home duo, they had to battle strong winds on the court before closing out the match 23-21, 21-16.
Even more significant, this victory secured their first-ever semi-final appearance at the tournament since debuting in 2017.
“For me, it was like going in and telling myself, I need to overcome this fear because I’ve never beaten them. And it’s kind of like a psychological game for me, and I need to overcome that fear.
“I think today, both of us did really well in that. Having said that, I think the court conditions today gave us some benefits because the wind was quite strong in the arena. So I think that gave us a little more edge to control the match.
“I mean, when it’s strong, the shuttle goes everywhere. The wind limits your game and doesn’t allow you to have 100% control.
“In some parts of the court, you may not be able to play as effectively as usual. That’s the limitation of strong winds. But for players who can manage it, the conditions can provide a real advantage,” said Shevon in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Commenting on the match, Shevon mentioned that their comeback in the first set was a key moment that sparked their confidence and led them to victory today.
“Definitely, it gave us a huge boost because we were trailing quite a bit, and confidence-wise, we were still trying to hold on. Being able to take so many points in a row, fight back, and win those key duels gave us that extra boost heading into the second game.
“In the second match, we played with more confidence, and I think that momentum from the first really helped us settle in and take control,” she added.
Shevon and Soon Huat have the opportunity to make further history in their careers at this tournament, but they must first overcome another Chinese duo, Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi, in the semi-finals tomorrow. — September 20, 2024