KUCHING: Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pair, Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani, endured a tough start to their Swiss Open campaign, crashing out in the first round against Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Katsuya Yamashita on Wednesday.
Despite their best efforts, the national duo couldn’t find their rhythm in dire moments, slipping to a 23-25, 21-15, 11-21 defeat. It was a frustrating result for the world no. 2 duo, who had been hoping to turn their recent struggles around with a strong showing in Basel.
The match was packed with drama from start to finish. Both pairs came out swinging, trading rapid-fire rallies in a fiercely contested opening game.
Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin had their chances to close it out, but a few costly mistakes allowed their Japanese opponents to snatch a 25-23 win.
Undeterred, the Malaysians regrouped in the second game, tightening up their play to force a decider with a solid 21-15 victory.
However, the momentum quickly shifted back to Midorikawa and Yamashita, who capitalised on a shaky start from Sze Fei- Nur Izzuddin in the third game.
Struggling to regain control, the Malaysian pair found themselves chasing the game and ultimately bowed out after 64 minutes.
The result was another bitter pill to swallow for the dynamic duo, who were eager to bounce back following their last-16 exit at the All England Open.
The defeats meant that Malaysia’s hopes in the men’s doubles event were extinguished early, leaving the squad searching for answers.
With the Swiss Open campaign now behind them and major tournaments on the horizon, both pairs will need to regroup quickly and recoup the momentum displayed at the Indonesian Open.
