Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin are on fire right now.
The dynamic Malaysian duo broke new ground by defeating top seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of the CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open 2024 for the first time in four encounters on Saturday. Their thrilling comeback victory, with scores of 19-21, 21-17, 21-18, has propelled them into their third final in just five tournaments.
“We prepared thoroughly and didn’t focus on the outcome. Our priority was to perform our best, which proved to be crucial. We maintained our composure and enjoyed the match,” stated Goh after the game.
Today’s clash against defending champions Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen at the Energia Arena marks the fourth final for the world No. 8s this season. Now competing independently, they have already celebrated victories at the Japan Open and China Open, claiming their first Super 750 and Super 1000 titles, respectively.
“Since reuniting, we’ve greatly enhanced our communication, which has been beneficial for our performance,” said Izzuddin. “While we’re pleased with our play, there’s still work to be done. We need to stay focused for this next challenge.”
Second seeds Astrup and Rasmussen advanced to the final by defeating qualifiers Kittinupong Kedren and Dechapol Puavaranukroh with a score of 21-14, 21-19 in a later match. Despite their strong 6-1 record, the world No. 2 Danes are cautious about their final opponents.
“You can’t depend on just one strategy; it’s essential to be strong all over the court to defeat them. We need to elevate our game one more time to secure a chance,” remarked Rasmussen.
This final marks the first Super 500 for Goh and Izzuddin. They are currently the only Malaysian players or pairs to have secured titles at all three levels (1000, 750, and 300) of the HSBC BWF World Tour.
