PETALING JAYA: Defending mixed doubles champions Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie suffered an early exit at the Malaysian Masters after crashing out in the first round on Wednesday (May 21).
Playing at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, third seeds Soon Huat-Shevon had high hopes of clearing their opening hurdle against world No. 20 pair Mads Vestergaard-Christine Busch.
However, the Danish pair proved too strong and needed just 38 minutes to eliminate the Malaysian husband-and-wife duo 21-18, 21-19.
It was a bitter disappointment for Shevon, who admitted that they had hoped to replicate last year’s title-winning run.
But a string of unforced errors on court ultimately proved costly and led to their early exit.
"From a personal perspective, I felt that today’s performance was not very stable or consistent, and that’s the part I’m quite disappointed with.
"But overall, I think it’s still a good takeaway for me, as we’re in the process of getting back into rhythm and regaining momentum. We’re also trying out some different angles of play, which requires time for both of us to adjust and develop better on-court understanding.
"Today, we tried and failed, but I believe this is just the beginning. I’m confident we’ll be able to play a more versatile game in the matches ahead," said Shevon after the match.
The pair will now turn their attention to the Singapore Open, set to begin next Tuesday.
