Malaysia’s mixed doubles challenge at the All England Open came to an end after Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai were eliminated by China’s Jiang Zhen Bang and Feng Yan Zhe in Birmingham.
The Malaysian pair, ranked world No. 11, fought hard in a 42-minute match but eventually lost to the world No. 2 Chinese duo. Despite making strong starts in both games, Soon Huat and Shevon were unable to maintain their early advantage against their fast and aggressive opponents.
The Malaysians led 7-3 in the opening game and later built a 9-5 lead in the second. However, Jiang and Feng responded with consistent pressure to turn the match around and secure the win.
The defeat continues a difficult head-to-head record for the Malaysian pair, with the Chinese duo now leading their encounters 10-1. It also mirrors last year’s All England result, where Soon Huat and Shevon were stopped at the quarter-final stage.
After the match, Shevon acknowledged that the pair struggled to hold their advantage once the Chinese players found their rhythm. She noted that Jiang and Feng are particularly dangerous when trailing, as they have the ability to recover quickly and turn matches around.
Soon Huat pointed to the pace and power of their opponents as another key factor. According to him, maintaining focus becomes increasingly challenging in longer rallies against such a physically strong pairing.
The defeat also marks a disappointing overall campaign for Malaysia in the mixed doubles category. Other Malaysian pairs, including world champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, as well as Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin, Jimmy Wong and Lai Pei Jing, and Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien, were all eliminated in the opening round.
Shevon also questioned the tournament draw system, suggesting that the pair often face strong opponents early regardless of their seeding. She noted that even when they were top seeds in a previous event, they were drawn against a world No. 3 pair in the first round.
Despite the setback in Birmingham, Soon Huat and Shevon remain focused on upcoming competitions. The pair will now shift their attention to the Badminton Asia Championships, which will take place from April 7 to April 12 in Ningbo, China.
The tournament will offer them another opportunity to regain momentum and continue their pursuit of major international titles.
