No final flourish as Sze Fei-Izzuddin lose to China in Asian meet

Good show: Goh Sze Fei (top) and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani in action during the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China. - AFP.

PETALING JAYA: Men's doubles shuttlers Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani dream run ended in the final of the Asian Championships.

The world No. 19 settled for a runners-up finish in the regional meet after going down fighting 17-21, 21-15, 10-21 to home favourites Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang in Ningbo on Sunday (April 14).

Sze Fei-Izzuddin faced a tough task against the Chinese world No. 3 pair but gave the latter a run for their money before eventually running out of steam in a match that lasted for 64 minutes.

It was the third consecutive silver medal for Malaysia in the men's doubles in the competition after Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and independent pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi also came second best in 2022 and 2023.

Despite the defeat, Thomas Cup-bound Sze Fei-Izzuddin can still hold their heads high after reaching their biggest ever tournament final.

The duo stunned South Korea's reigning world champions Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae, Taiwan's Olympic gold medallists Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin and former world champions Aaron-Wooi Yik en route to the final.