KUALA LUMPUR – National mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai unexpectedly ended the week as champions of the Malaysia Masters after overcoming several defeats.
Soon Huat and Shevon defeated the Indonesian pair Rinov Rivaldy and Pitha Haningtyas Mentari 21-18, 21-19 following a 48-minute battle.
Malaysia last won the mixed doubles title in 2017, thanks to Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing.
For Soon Huat, achieving success on home soil has been a long-cherished dream.
Given their past experiences of luck eluding them at the Malaysia Open, winning the Masters has brought them a renewed sense of achievement.
More importantly, this victory has brightened their chances of qualifying for the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, in December after failing to make the Paris Olympics.
Currently, Soon Huat-Shevon are ranked sixth in the World Tour Finals standings, and only the top eight pairs will qualify for the season-ending tournament.
“My dream has always been to win the Malaysia Open. Before this, I’ve often witnessed players from other countries ascend the podium, and now it’s our turn to become champions in Malaysia (even if it’s in the Malaysia Masters).
“After we lost in Thailand last week, we returned to our room and didn’t speak at all, but since we are now married, we tried to discuss again what we needed to do, practise harder, and try again.
“This (the World Tour Finals) is our main target after not being able to qualify for the Olympics, and we believe we have a chance to qualify, so we will try to improve our game for the next tournament,” said Soon Huat.
In March, Soon Huat-Shevon clinched victory at the Swiss Open, following two previous editions where they were disheartened by final losses.
Moreover, they never anticipated being crowned champions here, especially after their lacklustre performance last week resulted in a first-round exit at the Thailand Open.
“We never expected to end this week as winners, performing in front of thousands of spectators, including our own family members, and winning the championship.
“We didn’t expect it because based on our draw, it was very difficult and there were several challenges we needed to overcome, such as never winning here before and facing tough competition.
“We often remind each other that when we feel down, we need to lift each other up because we are determined to prove ourselves.
“For us, a setback in one tournament doesn’t define our performance in the next one. It’s about how quickly we bounce back from defeat.
“In that regard, we’ve shown resilience over the past two weeks since our disappointment in the Thailand Open,” Soon Huat added.
Soon Huat and Shevon also confirmed their participation in the Singapore Open, commencing this Tuesday, followed by the Indonesia Open scheduled for June 4-9. – May 26, 2024
