Men’s doubles players Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani (pictured) will make their debut as an independent pairing tomorrow at the Hong Kong Open, facing a tough challenge ahead.
With world No. 3 pairing Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik absent, world No. 12 Goh and Izzuddin will be Malaysia’s highest-ranked men’s doubles duo in the competition, but their path is fraught with obstacles as they are placed in the top half of the draw.
They could potentially face Indonesia’s Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana in the second round, while South Korea’s world champions Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae, and Denmark’s world No. 2 Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, could await them in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.
Before that, Goh-Izzuddin face a tricky opening match against Taiwan’s world No. 26 duo Lee Fang-Chih and Lee Fang-Jen.
Last month, the Taiwanese pair defeated China’s world No. 7 pair He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu in the first round of the Japan Open, proving they are no pushovers. Goh-Izzuddin, meanwhile, have had a hectic few weeks, winning their biggest title to date at the Super 750 Japan Open and subsequently leaving the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to sign a sponsorship deal with Victor.
The pair are adjusting to their new identity as professional players and hope to make a strong impression in Hong Kong.
A solid performance in Hong Kong could propel Goh-Izzuddin into the world’s top 10.
