PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles shuttlers Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie need to raise their game quickly or risk dropping out of the world's top eight rankings.
Soon Huat-Shevon have not reached the semi-finals in any of their tournaments this year since the Indian Open in January.
The independent pair dropped two rungs from No. 6 to No. 8 in the latest world rankings after suffering a third-round exit at the hands of fellow Malaysians Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin in the World Championships in Paris last week. Soon Huat-Shevon are now in danger of dropping out of the top eight if they don't find solutions fast to their drop in form.
The duo enjoyed their best year of careers in 2024, capturing the Malaysian Masters and Swiss Open titles and finishing as runners-up in the China Open, but have struggled to reach the same heights this year.
Soon Huat-Shevon will no longer be seeded in tournaments and may potentially receive tougher draws if they are no longer in the top eight.
Age too might not be on the husband and wife combo's side with Soon Huat now 35 and Shevon turning 32 earlier this month, but the pair will be out to regain their rhythm when they compete next in the Hong Kong Open, which starts on Monday (Sep 8) in Kowloon. Soon Huat-Shevon will be Malaysia's highest-ranked mixed doubles pair in the absence of newly crowned world champions and world No. 3 Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, who will be skipping the event.
They will open their campaign against a qualifier before a potential rematch against Pang Ron-Su Yin in the second round.
World No. 14 Pang Ron-Su Yin are expected to beat Ukraine's Oleksii Titov-Yevheniia Kantemyr in their opening match. Meanwhile, Malaysia will also be represented in the mixed doubles by Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien and Loo Bing Kun-Go Pei Kee. World No. 34 Tien Ci-Chiew Sien have a difficult task right from the start against home favourites and world No. 5 Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet, while Bing Kun-Pei Kee, who will only be playing in their third competition together, will start from the qualifying round against Japan's Yuta Watanabe-Misaki Matsutomo.
