Focused: Malaysia’s mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie make it to the Korean Masters semis. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Professionals Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie pulled off one of their biggest wins this year to reach the semi-finals of the Korean Masters.
Seeded fifth, Soon Huat-Shevon upstaged third seeds and one of the home favourites Kim Wan-ho-Jeong Na-eun 16-21, 22-20, 22-20 in a pulsating quarter-final match at the Gwangju National Women's University on Friday.
They face Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin of China next.
The second seeds had earlier beaten Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing 21-19, 21-9 in another quarter-final match.
"This win will surely help motivate us to do better. It will also give us some confidence again after the low season that we have had experienced recently," said Shevon.
Shevon admits it will be tough against the second seeds Zhengbang-Yaxin next.
"We’ve lost to our next opponents twice. We probably have to do it again like how we did it today, give constant support to one another and have the believe to do well."
It was also a good day for Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei as they made it to the semis after disposing of Chiu Hsiang-chieh-Lin Xiao-min of Taiwan21-19, 21-17. They will face top seeds and reigning world champions Seo Seung-jae-Chae Yu-jung of South Korea next.
It was all over for Malaysia in the men's singles with the defeats of Soong Joo Ven and Leong Jun Hao in the last eight matches.
Joo Ven gave a good fight in the opening game before losing 16-21, 11-21 to former world champion Kento Momota of Japan while Jun Hao's late comeback was not enough to stop China's Lei Lanxi as he went down 14-21, 20-22.
Momota faces Lanxi next while the other semi-final will be between Japan's Koki Watanabe and Taiwan's Wang Tzu-wei.
In the men's doubles, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani found the reigning world champions Kang Min-hyuk-Seung-jae too hot to handle as they were bundled out 18-21, 10-21 in the quarters.
