Malaysia’s professional men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani saw their impressive run at the 2026 Japan Open come to an end after suffering a hard-fought three-game defeat to world No. 1 Kim Won-Ho and Seo Seung-Jae of South Korea in Saturday’s semi-final.
Playing at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, the Malaysian duo staged a spirited comeback before eventually going down 12-21, 21-15, 13-21 in a high-quality contest that lasted over an hour.
Sze Fei and Izzuddin struggled to find their rhythm in the opening game as the reigning world champions dominated from the outset, racing to a comfortable 21-12 victory.
However, the Malaysians responded superbly in the second game.
Showing greater aggression and improved court coverage, the world No. 5 pair turned the momentum around, taking control of the rallies to claim the game 21-15 and force a deciding third set.
The decider lived up to expectations as both pairs exchanged rapid-fire attacks and relentless defensive exchanges, with neither side able to gain a decisive advantage early on.
Locked at 11-11, the match hung in the balance.
But it was the Korean pair who displayed greater composure during the crucial closing stages. Their defensive discipline and ability to convert opportunities exposed a series of costly Malaysian errors, allowing Kim and Seo to pull away before sealing the match 21-13 and booking their place in the final.
The victory also improved the Koreans’ head-to-head record against Sze Fei and Izzuddin to 3-2.
The semi-final carried added significance after the Malaysians had defeated the world No. 1 pair in the Indonesia Open semi-finals just last month, winning 21-18, 17-21, 21-16 on their way to the title.
This time, however, Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae gained their revenge to keep alive hopes of successfully defending the Japan Open crown they won in 2025.
They will now face either Japan’s Takuro Hoki–Yugo Kobayashi or Indonesia’s second seeds Fajar Alfian–Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in Sunday’s championship match.
Despite falling short of another Super 750 final, Sze Fei and Izzuddin once again demonstrated why they remain among the world’s elite men’s doubles pairs, pushing the top-ranked combination into a fiercely competitive three-game battle.
The Malaysian duo will now quickly turn their attention to the China Open, where they are scheduled to face Taiwan’s Chen Zhi Ray and Lin Yu Chieh in the opening round.
While the Japan Open campaign ends in the last four, another opportunity awaits as Malaysia’s leading men’s doubles pair continue their pursuit of more World Tour titles during the second half of the 2026 season.
Credit Photo : BERNAMA
