Goh and Izzuddin claim breakthrough victory at China Open
Malaysian pair Sze Fei Goh and Nur Izzudin claimed the men’s doubles title at the China Open to deny the host nation a clean sweep in Changzhou.
The No.12 seeds came from a set down to beat He Ji Tiang-Xiang Yu and Ren Xiang Yu 13-21 21-12 21-17 in the biggest win of their career to date.
It was the only one of the five events up for grabs that was not won by Chinese shuttlers, as they clinched victory in the men’s and women’s singles, as well as the women’s doubles and the mixed doubles.
Weng Hongyang was victorious in the men’s singles, beating Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in the final, 21-17 21-12, having beaten Yonex All England champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the semi-finals.
In the women’s singles, No.3 seed Wang Zhiyi dropped just one set all competition, against compatriot Gao Fangjie in the quarter-finals, before going on to beat Tomoka Miyazaki 21-17 21-15 in the final, as three of the four semi-finalists were Japanese.
There was a shock in the women’s doubles where unseeded duo Li Yijing and Luo Xumin came from a set down to get the better of compatriots Li Wenmei and Zhang Shuxian 11-21 21-18 21-8.
Last, but not least, in the mixed doubles, No.2 seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping triumphed, beating Malaysian pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai 16-21 21-14 21-17 in the final, having not dropped a set before the final.
