File picture shows Goh Sze Fei (left) and Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani playing against Kim Duk Young and Kim Sa Rang of Korea in the men’s doubles in the qualifying round of the Perodua Malaysia Masters Badminton Championship 2020 at Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil. — Bernama pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — National men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani stunned Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto, who recently helped Indonesia lift the Thomas Cup, in straight games to cruise into the Denmark Open semi-finals today.
World number 26 Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin tore the formbook to shreds by upstaging the world number seven Indonesians 21-18, 21-17 in 34 minutes in the quarter-finals at the Odense Sports Park.
This is also their first win in four meetings against the Indonesians, who played their part to help Indonesia lift the Thomas Cup after a 19-year wait in Aarhus, Denmark last week.
In tomorrow’s semi-final, Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin will take on the winner of the tie between Indonesia’s Muhammad Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana and Danes Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.
Malaysia’s challenge in the mixed doubles fizzled out after national number two Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing went down fighting 21-19, 12-21, 14-21 to fourth seeds and Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino of Japan in an intense one hour and 32-minute quarter-final battle. — Bernama