Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie have reached the final of the VICTOR China Open 2024 Mixed Doubles, marking a major achievement for the Malaysian pair at the prestigious tournament held at Changzhou Olympic Sports Center, Changzhou.
Ranked 12th in the world, the pair secured their place in the final by defeating the host nation’s duo, Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi, in straight sets 21-18, 21-18. Despite the pressure of competing in front of a strong home crowd, Soon Huat and Shevon delivered a steady performance, overcoming multiple challenges throughout the match, particularly in the second set where they trailed 15-17 before making a decisive comeback.
In the first set, the Malaysian duo applied consistent pressure but found themselves briefly behind before rallying to take the set 21-18. The second set was a nail-biter, with both pairs exchanging points in a tightly contested match. In the end, Soon Huat and Shevon’s resilience paid off, as they clinched victory once again, 21-18.
This marks their first-ever final in a BWF Super 1000 World Tour event and their third final of the season, having already won titles at the Swiss Open in March and the Malaysian Masters in May. Notably, Malaysia has never won the China Open Mixed Doubles title since the tournament’s inception in 1986.
Soon Huat and Shevon will face either Indonesia’s Dejan Ferdinansyah and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja or China’s second-seeded Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in tomorrow’s final. The winning pair will take home a grand prize of US$148,000 (RM622,000), while the runners-up will receive US$70,000 (RM294,000).
Credit Photo : The Star
