Soon Huat-Shevon Lai set for podium

GOH Soon Huat-Shevon Lai are definitely good enough for a podium finish at the Philippines Sea Games next month, if they can play as well as they did in last week’s Fuzhou China Open.

The national mixed doubles, who have been struggling with their form for almost half of this season, came out of their slump to reach the semi-finals before going down to world No 1 Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong of China.

It was the World No 8 pair’s second last four appearance this year, after the All England in March.

Yesterday, Soon Huat-Shevon got their Hong Kong Open campaign off to a good start when they defeated Robin Tabeling-Selena Piek of the Netherlands 21-17, 21-8 to set up a second round date with Japan’s Kohei Gondo-Ayane Kurihara.

Shevon said: “We definitely needed the confidence boost and yes it does bode well for us especially ahead of the Sea Games.

“We still have this Hong Kong Open and the Korea Masters to maintain our ranking but we are hoping to ride on our form.

“We need to work hard to stay consistent as our opponents will also be analysing our game.

“Everybody is working hard to improve so we have to equip ourselves well too.”

Also reaching the second round yesterday were 2016 Rio Olympic Games silver medallists, Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying.

The sixth seeded independent duo notched a 21-16, 21-16 win over Indonesia’s Rinov RivaldyPitha Haningtyas Mentari in the opening round and will face Hong Kong Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet today.

There was no triple joy for Malaysian mixed doubles though as national No 2, Tan Kian MengLai Pei Jing were sent packing in the first round after going down 21-19, 17-21, 21-19 to Russia’s Rodion Alimov-Alina Davletova.