After a week of stellar performances, Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen earned a well-deserved silver medal at the CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open 2024, powered by YONEX.
As the last European representatives in the tournament, the Danish pair faced Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin from Malaysia in a gripping final. The Malaysians had an impressive run, knocking out both fourth seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto, as well as top seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang to secure their spot in the final.
Astrup and Rasmussen got off to a strong start, winning the first game, but Goh and Nur bounced back, finding their form to take the final in three thrilling games (15-21, 21-15, 21-19).
Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen secured their place in the final of the CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open 2024, powered by YONEX, with a solid victory over Thailand’s Kittinupong Kedren and Dechapol Puavaranukroh (21-14, 21-19).
After the match, Astrup expressed his contentment with their performance: “It was a tough match, but we maintained a high level throughout, and it paid off.”
A standout moment occurred when Rasmussen had to switch rackets mid-rally after breaking a string — something he had never done before. “It was a first for me, but it worked out, and we even won the point,” he shared.
As they look ahead to the final against Goh Sze Feiand Nur Izzuddin, Rasmussen acknowledged their opponents’ strengths while remaining confident: “They’re a strong team, physically and tactically. It’ll be a challenge, but we just need to step up our game once more.”
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.
Ambitious men’s doubles players Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin credit their strong performance this year to their growing trust in each other.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin have been in excellent form recently, clinching their third title in two months at the Arctic Open on Sunday.
The world No. 8 independent pair fought hard to defeat Indonesia’s world No. 6 pair, Fajar Alfian / Rian Ardianto, China’s world No. 1 duo, Liang Weikeng / Wang Chang, and Denmark’s defending champions, Kim Astrup / Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (world No. 2), to claim the title.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin also won the Japan and China Open titles last month, and if they can maintain their hot streak, they will soon surpass the country’s No. 1 and world No. 4 pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, in the rankings.
Sze Fei stated that mutual trust is the key to their success so far, and they are eager to continue their winning ways.
“The key is to trust each other and keep moving forward, keep working hard,” Sze Fei told SPOTV after the match.
“We’ll keep doing what we’ve done over the past few weeks, which is giving our best in every match. There were many tense moments during the games, and it’s crucial that we never lose faith in each other.”
Sze Fei-Izzuddin have no time to celebrate yet, as they are set to compete in the Denmark Open, which begins today in Odense.
Izzuddin knows that maintaining their form in Denmark after a grueling week will be a tough task.
“From the quarterfinals (Arctic Open) onwards, our matches have been difficult. We need to be mentally and physically prepared,” Izzuddin said.
“It’s been a tiring week for us, and we need to get ready for Denmark once again.”
In their first-round match in Odense, Sze Fei-Izzuddin will face Taiwan’s world No. 10 pair, Lee Jhe-Huei / Yang Po-Hsuan, in what will be a challenging test.
If they win, they will likely face Denmark’s world No. 14 pair, Rasmus Kjær / Frederik Søgaard, for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Goh Tze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani triumphed at the 2024 Arctic Open in Vantaa, Finland, becoming one of the rare men’s doubles pairs to complete the BWF World Tour Series.
This accomplishment marks victories across the BWF World Tour Super 300, 500, 750, and 1000 tournaments—a feat that not all top men’s doubles pairs have achieved.
In the Arctic Open (Super 500) final, they defeated top seeds Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen from Denmark, matching the record set by Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Rian Ardianto.
The Malaysian pair has already won the 2022 German Open (Super 300), 2023 US Open (Super 300), 2024 Japan Open (Super 750), and 2024 China Open (Super 1000).
In the 2024 Arctic Open final at Vantaa Energia Arena, Fei-Din overcame a 15-21 first game loss to beat the Danish pair 21-15, 21-19.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s hopes for a second title at the Arctic Open were dashed when Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah failed to defeat top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning from China.
The Chinese duo, who had already claimed titles at the Malaysia Open, Indonesia Masters, and Japan Open earlier this year, displayed great composure in the final, winning 21-12 and 21-17 in just under an hour.
China secured a second title in the mixed doubles event with another victory by top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping.
Ranked No. 3 in the world, Feng/Huang had to battle hard for their victory against fellow Chinese pair Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin, with the intense match lasting over an hour.
Feng/Huang won the first game 21-18 but suffered a 6-21 loss in the second. However, they bounced back to take the third game 21-15, securing the title in front of the Finnish crowd.
Later, second seed Han Yue defeated Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon in the women’s singles final, giving China a third title in Finland.
The defending champion easily won 21-10, 21-13, claiming her title defense in just 39 minutes.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s All England champion Jonatan Christie fell short in the men’s singles final against Chou Tien Chen from Chinese Taipei, ending his hopes of another BWF World Tour title.
Seventh seed Chou defeated fifth seed Jonatan 21-18, 21-17, securing his second BWF World Tour title of the year.
There’s been speculation that Chin Eei Hui might step in as the new coach for the independent men’s doubles team of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani. However, before making their mark in the second round of the Hong Kong Open, the pair encountered a significant challenge.
In their first tournament since departing from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), Goh and Nur Izzuddin were tested thoroughly by Taiwan’s Lee Fang-chih and Lee Fang-jen. They managed to secure a hard-fought victory with scores of 21-17, 15-21, 24-22 in a gripping 60-minute match at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Kowloon.
The path ahead is unlikely to get any easier for the world No. 12 pair as they prepare to face Indonesia’s Shohibul Fikri and Daniel Marthin in their bid for a quarterfinal spot.
Goh and Nur Izzuddin are currently the highest-ranked Malaysian men’s doubles pair competing here, given the absence of world No. 5 Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
Although they’ve joined Rosman Razak’s independent coaching team, there’s potential for Eei Hui to come on board as their new coach. Eei Hui recently signed with the same sponsor, Victor, as Goh and Nur Izzuddin.
Previously, Eei Hui coached the independent pair Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi before relocating to New Zealand early last year to lead the North Harbour Club in Auckland.
It remains uncertain if Eei Hui will leave her current role and return to Malaysia to coach Goh and Nur Izzuddin.
In other news, the national pair Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun also advanced to the second round after a comeback win over teammates Yap Roy King and Wan Arif Wan Junaidi with scores of 15-21, 21-8, 21-11.
They will meet China’s Xie Haonan and Zeng Weihan in their next match.
Young talents Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing face a challenging first-round match today against South Korea’s world champions Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae, following their 21-12, 21-19 victory over Canada’s Lan Kan Kern and Larry Pong in the qualifiers.
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.
Following the Korea Badminton Open this week, Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair, Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin, will transition to independent players. The Malaysian national men’s doubles coach, Tan Bin Shen, can only offer them his best wishes.
Career-Defining Victory in Japan
The FeiTing duo claimed the most significant title of their careers on Sunday at the Japan Open. In an interview with the New Straits Times, Coach Tan Bin Shen expressed his belief that the FeiTing pair’s future holds great potential. He hoped to continue coaching them but respected their decision to pursue their careers independently.
Coach’s Mixed Emotions
“I can’t say I’m saddened by their departure from the national team. What I regret is that, after all their ups and downs, I can no longer play a role in their career as they continue to rise.”
Maturity and Determination
Tan Bin Shen, who led the national team at the Korea Open this week, added: “They’ve matured in many ways and know what they want for their future. I can only wish them the best and hope they keep striving for their dreams.”
Potential for a Comeback
Coach Tan has always had faith in the FeiTing duo, once stating that Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin could rise again. In February, when asked by the New Straits Times if the FeiTing pair had hit a plateau, Tan replied, “Whether they’ve stagnated, only they know.”
Future Prospects
“I’m not saying they can’t make further progress. They still have the potential to rise again. As coaches, we still believe they can return to their best form.”
Proving Their Worth
A few months later, the FeiTing pair demonstrated their potential by claiming silver at the Asian Championships and delivering strong performances in the Thomas Cup, helping the team reach the semifinals. They also reached the quarterfinals at the Malaysia Masters, Singapore Open, and Indonesia Open. Now, with their Japan Open victory, they have solidified their place as top contenders.
Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani (November 11, 1997) is a Malaysian male badminton player.
In August 2016, Izzuddin and Goh Sai Fei teamed up to play in the Singapore Badminton International Series and won the first international title of their badminton careers by defeating the host and 4th seeded duo of Danny Bawa Krishnanta and Hendra Vijaya 2-0 (21-13, 21-14).
In mid-October 2016, Izudin and Wu Shifei again entered the Swiss Badminton Internationals as the dark horse of the top seed and won the title by defeating teammates Xie Dingfeng as well as the duo of Huang Weijun with a score of 2-0 (21-18, 21-12).
On March 14, 2022, Wu Shifei/Izudin won the men’s doubles final of the German Open on the Badminton World Tour, defeating Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuan Yi 2-1 (23-21, 16-21, 21-14) to win the title.
World Ranking – Men’s Doubles 14, Week 30, 2024
Olympic Points – Men’s Doubles 15, 57088 points
Finals Ranking – Men’s Doubles 17, 37440 points
Equipment Used
ASTROX 88D PRO; ASTROX 77 PRO; ARCSABER 11 Metallic Red; ARCSABER 11 PRO; JETSPEED S 10 Fluorescent Rose; ASTROX 88D PRO New Colors; BG-65Ti; SHB65Z3MEX; A922; A920ACE
Major Achievements
2024 Thomas Cup Men’s Team 3rd Runner-up Member
2024 Badminton Asia Championships Men’s Doubles Runner-up
2024 Badminton Asia Championships Men’s Team Runner-up
2023 Abu Dhabi Badminton Open Men’s Doubles Champion
2023 Chinese Taipei Kaohsiung Badminton Masters Men’s Doubles Champion
