KUALA LUMPUR – Married mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai have no plans to retire just yet.
After reaching their first Super 1000 final today at the China Open, the independent duo told the Badminton World Federation (BWF) that they still have plenty more to play for.
Following their stunning victory over world number two Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin in the quarter-finals yesterday, the pair overcame another local duo, Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi, with a 21-18, 21-18 win in the semi-finals at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Changzhou.
“Yes, yes, we’re definitely continuing with our careers. I’m not sure why anyone thought this was our last season,” Shevon told Scoop.
Tomorrow’s final will be the third of the season for Soon Huat and Shevon, following their victories at the Swiss Open and Malaysia Masters in March and May, respectively.
The Malaysians will face world number three Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China for the title.
Shevon, who has partnered with Soon Huat for seven years, said winning a Super 1000 title has always been a dream for her.
“It’s actually one of my dreams to be in a Super 1000 final because it means so much to both of us. We’ve been partners for six to seven years, and this is our first Super 1000 final.
“I’ve told him (Soon Huat) many times before that my dream is to one day become a Super 1000 champion,” she added.
Soon Huat and Shevon’s previous best performance at a Super 1000 event was reaching the All England semi-finals in 2019. – September 21, 2024