PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie were left frustrated after narrowly missing out on a first-ever win over world No. 1 duo Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping of China.
The husband-and-wife pair went down 25-23, 11-21, 20-22 to Yanzhe-Dongping in their second Group B match at the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou yesterday, ending their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
For Shevon, the defeat was hard to take, as they had been on the brink of victory in the decider game, holding a comfortable lead.
A win would have still given Soon Huat and Shevon a chance to advance to the knockout stages, but that opportunity slipped away, leaving them disappointed.
“Actually, this isn’t the first time we’ve lost after being in the lead.
“There’s almost some sort of bad luck at this stage. It’s very disappointing to lose from this position because we really wanted to beat them.
“We’ve never won against this pair, and we were so close today,” said Shevon in a post-match interview with Badminton World Federation.
Despite the loss, the pair could take pride in giving Yanzhe-Dongping a strong challenge, something they had not managed in their previous three encounters.
“I’m personally happy with my performance. I’m in better shape compared to the first game, and my partner handled many crucial points really well,” said Shevon.
“This result means a lot to us because in past tournaments, we have struggled against the top pairs. Every match was one-sided, and we never even managed a three-game finish.
“The result gives us confidence and reminds us that it’s not over yet. We just want to keep motivating ourselves, especially since it’s challenging being independent without a larger support group,” she added.
Soon Huat-Shevon will return to the court today to face Indonesian pair Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu.
Although the match is merely a formality to complete the Group B schedule, both pairs will be looking for a win not only to salvage pride but also to finish the group stage in a stronger position.
