The English bogeymen haunt the Malaysia Open again

KUALA LUMPUR: England's Ben Lane–Sean Vendy once again proved why they have become a recurring nightmare for Malaysian pairs, delivering another brilliant performance to knock Goh Sze Fei–Nur Izzuddin Rumsani out of the Malaysia Open on Thursday.

The world No. 15 were solid from the outset at Axiata Arena, brushing aside the world No. 7 Malaysians 21-13, 21-17 to book their place in the quarter-finals and extend a striking run against Malaysian oppositions.

Since September 2024, Lane–Vendy have now beaten Malaysian pairs 11 times in their last 14 meetings, a statistic that underlines their growing authority whenever drawn against the hosts.

On Wednesday, they also sent Choong Hon Jian-Haikal Nazri packing in the first round.

Lane said the key was resisting the early pressure and trusting their own game.

"They started very strong and put us under a lot of pressure," he said.

"But after the first 10 points, we relaxed into the match, played our own style and found our rhythm. Once you start doing that, it becomes very hard for the opponents."

Vendy highlighted defence as the foundation of their success.

"Our defence was really solid today," he said.

"That gave us confidence to stay patient, to lift when needed and to take them on. Compared to our first match earlier in the week, we settled much better, and that made a big difference."

Facing Malaysian pairs at Axiata Arena is rarely straightforward, but Lane said the intimidating atmosphere only added to the occasion.

"They're a top, top pair. They're very consistent, which is why they're in the top 10," he said.

"Of course they had the crowd behind them, but it's an amazing arena to play in. The fans create a great atmosphere from day one. Even when they're cheering against us, it still gives us a bit of a boost."

Asked about their strong record against Malaysian opposition, Vendy played it down.

"There's no secret," he said.

"We just give our best against whoever we play. It's not only Malaysian pairs that we beat, but because there are so many strong Malaysian pairs on the World Tour, we end up facing them quite often.

"And we enjoy the challenge. They're all very good players."

The defeat continued a worrying home trend for Sze Fei-Izzuddin, who have now failed to move beyond the last-16 stage at the Malaysia Open for the fourth consecutive edition, following their semi-final run in 2022.

Sze Fei admitted the English pair were sharper on the day.

"Their attack and defence were very solid, and they didn't make simple mistakes," he said.

"We were the ones making more unforced errors."

Still, the Malaysians insisted effort was never lacking.

"At least we tried our best and didn't give up," Sze Fei added.

Izzuddin said attention will now turn to next week's India Open, where they will be defending their title.