KUALA LUMPUR – There will be no all-Malaysian mixed doubles final at the Malaysian Open, as both Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai were knocked out in their respective semi-finals at the Axiata Arena today.
This marks the first time a Malaysian mixed doubles pair has reached the semi-finals since Tan Kian Meng and Lai Pei Jing achieved the feat in 2019.
On Court 1, Tang Jie and Ee Wei were outclassed by world number one Chinese pair Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping, losing 21-19, 21-14 in straight games.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Ee Wei apologised to Malaysian fans for failing to meet expectations by not reaching the final.
“We are sorry to all the Malaysian fans who came to watch us today. I feel bad for letting them down by not delivering our best performance. We planned well, but in terms of execution… we failed to defend when it mattered most,” Ee Wei said during the post-match conference.
“However, we are proud of what we have achieved, and we hope to do better in the upcoming India Open, which starts next week.”
At the same time, national mixed doubles head coach Nova Widianto encouraged his players not to be disheartened by their performance at the Malaysian Open, expressing hope they will become more consistent in future tournaments this year.
“They (Tang Jie and Ee Wei) did well, but they could have been a bit better in a few crucial moments of the game today. They are still young, and I hope to see them be more consistent in future tournaments this year,” said Nova.
Meanwhile, Soon Huat and Shevon started strong by winning the first set but failed to maintain their momentum, eventually losing 21-17, 12-21, 16-21 in 63 minutes to Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran.
Shevon admitted she was disappointed that their dream of reaching the final had been shattered, saying their opportunity to make history at the Super 1000 tournament had slipped away.
“It’s sad for both of us because, in our hearts, we really felt 200% committed to bringing Malaysia to the final stage this time. This was a great opportunity, and it’s a hard thing for us to digest,” Shevon said.
“In today’s match, our opponents really wanted to finish quickly, and I was their main target. I couldn’t defend well, and my movements were also slow. Because of that, my partner had to help me a lot.
“Besides that, both of them, especially Dechapol, knew how to attack us very effectively with his smashes. We have also trained with them, so they are familiar with our game.”
The defeat means the head-to-head record between the two now stands at 2-1 in favour of Dechapol and Supissara.
Despite the loss, reaching the semi-finals of the Malaysian Open marked Soon Huat’s best achievement in a Super 1000 tournament, as he and Shevon had previously only managed to reach the second round in past editions.
For the record, the last Malaysian mixed doubles pair to qualify for the final of this competition were Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying, who eventually lost 21-23, 21-13, 16-21 to Indonesia’s Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir in 2016. – January 11, 2025
