PETALING JAYA: Consistency and quality performances – rather than obsessing over the title – could hold the key for men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani as they return to the Thailand Open for the first time in four years.
Independent squad coach Ameer Amri Zainuddin admitted the world No. 9 pair are still managing fatigue after their three-week stint at the Thomas Cup Finals in Denmark.
However, he believes the duo should stay focused on their performances match by match to give them the best chance of making a deep run in Bangkok.
“In every tournament, the target is always to go far, but for us, the bigger focus is consistency and the quality of their game,” said Ameer.
“Everyone wants to win the title, but if they can keep producing solid performances throughout the tournament, that is more important.”
Ameer noted that many pairs skipping the Thomas Cup campaign may arrive fresher physically, while Sze Fei-Izzuddin only had a short recovery period after returning from Denmark.
“In terms of their condition, there was some jet lag for a day or two after returning from Denmark. But physically, they are still in good shape because they trained every day over there as well.”
Still, the coaching team saw encouraging signs during the national team assignment, particularly in the pair’s communication, fighting spirit and confidence levels.
In Horsens, national head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi tried out different combinations involving Sze Fei and Izzuddin as scratch pairs in several matches, and the move helped improve their game.
“One of the positive things we saw during the Thomas Cup was that their communication and fighting spirit have improved. Izzuddin also looks like he has regained his touch and confidence on court.
“Even though he lost that day against Japan when partnering Soh Wooi Yik, we could still see that the quality of his game has improved and that he is playing with more confidence,” Ameer added.
The last time Sze Fei-Izzuddin competed in the tournament was in the 2022 edition, where their run ended in the quarter-finals against Japan’s Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi.
For this year’s edition, Sze Fei-Izzuddin will open their campaign in Bangkok against either Japan’s Hiroki Okamura-Kyohei Yamashita or Taiwan’s Su Ching-heng-Tang Kai-wei from the qualifying rounds.
The Malaysian duo, who won the Indonesia Masters earlier this year, reached the quarter-finals at the Thailand Open in 2022.
