Two mixed double shuttlers from Malaysia reached the semi-final round of the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2024 at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium.
The matches, held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, showcased the resilience and skill of Malaysia’s top shuttlers.
Returning to the World Tour Finals semi-finals for the first time since 2020, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie delivered an impressive performance. The experienced pair overcame a tough challenge from Indonesia’s Dejan Ferdinansyah-Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja, winning in three thrilling sets 17-21, 21-15, 21-15 in a match that lasted over an hour.
Shevon expressed her joy at the achievement:
“We are really happy to progress to the semi-finals. We never thought we would make it this far. Looking at the draw initially, we thought we had a chance, but we didn’t set high expectations because the pairs in our group are very strong. So making it to the semi-finals means a lot to us,” she said in an audio recording shared with the media via the BWF.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s rising stars Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, who are ranked eighth in the world, continued their remarkable unbeaten run in the group stage. The pair secured a straight-set victory against Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito, triumphing 21-17, 21-18 in just 41 minutes.
Their calm and composed performance reflected their growing maturity and confidence, further solidifying their reputation as one of Malaysia’s most promising mixed doubles pairs.
Both Malaysian pairs will face challenging opponents in the semi-finals, with the draw scheduled to take place tonight. The competition promises to be intense as they vie for a coveted spot in the finals of this prestigious tournament.
Credit Photo : Shi Tang/Getty Images