Soon HuatShevon off to a flying start in Odense

ODENSE ( Denmark): Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie have strengthened their claim for a place at next year’s Commonwealth Games.

On Tuesday, Soon Huat-Shevon made a memorable debut at the Denmark Open by beating Kim Jae-hwan-Lee So-hee of South Korea 21-15, 23-25, 21-14 in the mixed doubles first round at the Odense Sports Park.

The Malaysians will next face sixth seeds Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping of China for a place in the quarter-finals.

Shevon wants to stand out with Soon Huat to win the right to represent Malaysia at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, from April 4-15.

“The standard of the mixed doubles pairs in Malaysia is very close. We hope to stand out before the year ends so that we will be considered for our first Commonwealth Games. Only one pair will be selected and we hope it’s us,” she said.

World No. 14 Soon Huat-Shevon are the only Malaysian mixed doubles pair left after compatriots Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and Chan Peng Soon-Cheah Yee See crashed out.

World No. 10 Kian Meng-Pei Jing went down 17-21, 10-21 to South Koreans Seo Seung-jae-Kim Ha-na while Peng Soon-Yee See put up a good fight before bowing out 21-15, 12-21, 18-21 to Marcus Ellis-Lauren Smith of England.

Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei also crashed out after losing 17-21, 14-21 to Huang DongpingLi Yinhui of China in just 37 minutes in the women’s doubles first round.

But it was a good start for former international Tan Boon Heong.

Boon Heong and his Indonesian partner Hendra Setiawan put up a good show to beat Kuala Lumpur SEA Games champions Kittinupong Kedren-Dechapol Puavaranukroh of Thailand 21-19, 15-21, 21-16 in the first round of the men’s doubles.