Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani were made to work hard before booking their spot in the second round of the Thailand Open.
The world No. 9 duo overcame Japan’s Hiroki Okamura and Kyohei Yamashita in a three-game battle, 21-15, 17-21, 21-12, in Bangkok.
Sze Fei and Izzuddin started strongly to take the opening game, but the Japanese pair responded in the second to force a decider. The Malaysians regained control in the third game with a sharper and more consistent performance to close out the match.
Although their opponents are ranked outside the top 100, they proved to be far from easy opponents. The Japanese pair have been on an upward trajectory following a national reshuffle earlier in the year and had already shown promising form on the international circuit.
The win keeps the Malaysian pair on track in the tournament as they continue their campaign for a deeper run in Bangkok. They will next face China’s Huang Di-Liu Yang for a place in the quarter-finals.
