Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin stun Indonesians to make Denmark Open semis

Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin stun Indonesians to make Denmark Open semis

Malaysian pair produces best-ever showing in the world badminton circuit in Odense.

Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani stunned Indonesian world number seven pair Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto to qualify for the semi-finals. (Bernama pic)
KUALA LUMPUR:
National men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani stunned Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto, who recently helped Indonesia win the Thomas Cup, in straight games to cruise into the Denmark Open semi-finals today – their best-ever showing in the world badminton circuit.

The world number 26 pair tore the formbook to shreds by upstaging the world number seven Indonesians 21-18, 21-17 in 34 minutes in the quarter-finals at the Odense Sports Park.

This is also their first win in four meetings against the Indonesians, who played their part to help Indonesia lift the Thomas Cup after a 19-year wait in Aarhus, Denmark last week.

The best the Malaysians have done before this was reaching the quarter-finals of the Thailand Open in March and the Korean Open in September.

In tomorrow’s semi-final, Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin will take on the winner of the tie between Indonesia’s Muhammad Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana and Danes Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.

Malaysia’s challenge in the mixed doubles fizzled out after national number two Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing went down fighting 21-19, 12-21, 14-21 to fourth seeds and Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino of Japan in an intense one hour and 32-minutes quarter-final battle.

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