Sze Fei-Izzuddin Fall Short In Epic Thailand Open Semi-final

From Kenny Teng Khoon Hock

BANGKOK, May 16 (Bernama) -- National professional men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani pushed India’s top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty to the limit before bowing out in a gruelling 82-minute Thailand Open semi-final tie at Nimibutr Stadium here on Saturday.

The world number nine Malaysians went down 21-19, 20-22, 16-21 to the world number four Indian pair in a closely fought encounter.

Sze Fei-Izzuddin’s coach, Ameer Amri Zainuddin, said his players had delivered a commendable performance against one of the world’s top pairs.

Ameer said the opening game was evenly contested, with the Malaysians managing to maintain their composure to edge ahead, but they lost momentum in the second game despite holding an advantage.

“We actually had a slight advantage playing against the wind in the second game, but they were too eager to finish off the match and the Indian pair capitalised on it,” he told Bernama after the match.

Despite losing, Ameer said their achievement in this tournament will boost their confidence ahead of the Malaysia Masters next week.

The third-seeded Malaysian duo started brightly and comfortably secured the opening game after leading for most of the contest.

However, the Indian pair raised their intensity in the second game to level the match despite a late fightback from the Malaysians.

In the decider, Sze Fei-Izzuddin struggled to cope with the relentless attacking play and solid defence displayed by the Indian combination.

Sze Fei admitted that consistency remains an area they need to improve, particularly in deciding games, after conceding too many early points.

“We lost too many points early in the decider, which affected our focus as we tried to chase the game,” he said.

Despite the defeat, Sze Fei-Izzuddin said they are determined to bounce back and deliver a strong performance at next week’s Malaysia Masters in front of the home crowd.

-- BERNAMA