PETALING JAYA: Many players are intimidated by the atmosphere at the Istora Senayan but not shuttlers Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani.
For the former world No. 1 pair, it has become one of their happiest hunting grounds after conquering the iconic venue in Indonesia twice within a year.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin, both 28, produced a remarkable comeback to capture the Indonesian Open title on Sunday, defeating home favourites Nikolaus Joaquin-Raymond Indra 13-21, 21-18, 21-10 in the final.
It was a repeat of their triumph at the Indonesian Masters in January, where they also overcame the same opponents to lift the title.
The victory was made even sweeter as it silenced doubts over their fitness after an exhausting run of four consecutive tournaments in four weeks.
The pair had only a few days to recover after returning from Denmark, where they spent three weeks preparing for the Thomas Cup Finals.
Despite the demanding schedule, Sze Fei-Izzuddin reached the semi-finals of the Thailand Open, finished runners-up in the Malaysian Masters, suffered a quarter-finals exit in the Singapore Open and capped off the stretch by emerging champions in Jakarta.
“Thank God. This is the second time we’ve won at the Istora Senayan. I think this is our lucky venue,” said Izzuddin.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin admitted the title did not come easily as they had to overcome immense pressure, especially in front of thousands of Indonesian supporters at the Istora Senayan.
Joaquin-Indra were also far from easy opponents despite being only 20 and 22 years old respectively.
Based on their rapid progress, Sze Fei-Izzuddin believe the young Indonesians have what it takes to become one of the world’s top pairs in the future.
“In the first game, our opponents put us under a lot of pressure and I was feeling very tense at the start.
“Fortunately, my partner (Sze Fei) helped calm me down before the second game and we managed to make a comeback.
“I think their progress has been remarkable. They are playing very well and have already beaten many top pairs.
“We were also under a lot of pressure against them because they play exceptionally well at the Istora Senayan,” added Izzuddin.
