KUALA LUMPUR: Professional mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie emerged as the country’s sole representatives in the Swiss Open quarter-finals, living up to expectations as the tournament’s top seeds.
However, the married duo were made to work hard for their spot, facing a tough challenge from Thailand’s Ruttanapak Oupthong-Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat in the second round on Thursday (March 20).
After a gruelling 58-minute battle at St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Soon Huat and Shevon fought their way to a 20-22, 25-23, 21-11 victory.
The win also served as redemption for their loss to Oupthong and Sudjaipraparat in the first round of last year’s Thailand Open.
Meanwhile, Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien were unable to follow in their footsteps, falling to fourth seeds Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue in a 16-21, 10-21 defeat.
Leong Jun Hao’s spirited fightback in the men’s singles ended in heartbreak as Kenta Nishimoto proved the stronger player to claim victory.
After falling behind in the first game, Jun Hao found his rhythm in the second and battled hard to force a decider. However, Nishimoto held firm, and after a gruelling one hour and 40 minutes, Jun Hao fell just short, losing 17-21, 22-20, 20-22.
The same fate befell Goh Jin Wei in the women’s singles as she put up a fierce challenge against second seed Supanida Katethong.
Jin Wei, who took time to settle into the match, fought back impressively in the second game to force a decider. However, Supanida proved more composed at the crucial moments, sealing a hard-fought 21-9, 18-21, 24-22 victory after 59 minutes of play.
