It’s all in the mind for doubles pair Sze Fei-Izzuddin in Thomas Cup

CHENGDU: They cheer each other on. They also poke fun at each other.

The body language of men’s doubles shuttlers Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani has certainly changed for good after returning as a pair this year, and this was evident in their superb performance against Denmark in the final Group D tie of the Thomas Cup Finals.

Sze Fei-Izzuddin stayed cool to keep the tie alive for the team against Denmark by narrowly beating world No. 18 Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard 23-21, 22-20 at the High Tech Zone Sports Center in Chengdu on Tuesday.

Malaysia needed the world No. 15 pair to deliver after trailing 1-2 in the tie following the defeats of both singles players Lee Zii Jia and Leong Jun Hao to Viktor Axelsen and Anders Antonsen respectively and they did not disappoint.

Sze Fei-Izzuddin fought back from 12-19 down in the first game to snatch the win in their first meeting with the Danes.

The victory was a sign of the pair’s growing confidence after finishing runners-up in the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China last month.

Izzuddin said the key to their win was their stronger mental state.

“We discussed several strategies before the match but the most important thing was our mental strength.

“We kept our focus until the end,” said Izzuddin.

“It was a 50-50 match and we stayed calm during the crucial moments.

“This win is important for us ahead of the quarter-finals.”

Sze Fei said: “In the first game, we managed to come back from 12-19 down and this gave us confidence.

“We tried to slow the game down, make less unforced errors and enjoyed ourselves on court – I think, that is the key.”

Although Malaysia lost the overall tie 2-3, Sze Fei-Izzuddin’s form is crucial to the team’s chances in the last eight.

The pair remained unbeaten in the tournament after overcoming Hong Kong’s Reginald Lee-Tang Chun Man 21-19, 21-18 to help Malaysia to a 5-0 win in the first group match.