KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttler Shevon Lai Jemie suffered food poisoning a day before but it did not stop her from battling into the Malaysian Open mixed doubles second round with husband Goh Soon Huat.
Soon Huat-Shevon came from behind to beat Taiwan’s world No. 38 Wu Guan-xun-Lee Chia-hsin 15-21, 21-19, 21-14 at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Soon Huat said Shevon’s physical condition was not at the best.
“She had food poisoning the night before and was vomiting a few times,” said Soon Huat.
“I had to look after her the whole night and didn’t get much sleep too. So, both of us were quite tired.
“We hoped to finish the match in straight games but were forced to play in a decider.
“The Taiwanese are quite a new pair and we found it hard to read their shots in the first game. We took some time to find our rhythm.
“We had to come up with a different strategy in the second game and luckily we managed to turn it around,” added Soon Huat.
Soon Huat, who turns 36 in June, also credited the home fans for giving him and Shevon the energy to get over the line.
“We were also energised playing at home. The fans gave us a lot of confidence and helped us to fight back,” said Soon Huat.
Soon Huat-Shevon will face world No. 32 Americans Presley Smith-Jennie Gai next.
