Sze Fei-Izzuddin Become Malaysia’s Sole Quarter-Finalists At Thailand Open
PETALING JAYA: Professional men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani emerged as Malaysia’s only remaining representatives in the quarter-finals of the Thailand Open 2026 after several other national pairs were eliminated in the second round today.
The world No. 9 pair produced a convincing performance to defeat China’s Huang Di-Liu Yang in straight sets, 21-14, 24-22, in 46 minutes at Nimibutr Stadium.
The victory keeps Malaysia’s challenge alive in the tournament after other local representatives failed to progress beyond the second round.
Awaiting Sze Fei-Izzuddin in the quarter-finals are Scottish brothers Christopher Grimley and Matthew Grimley, who earlier knocked out another Malaysian professional pair, Chia Weijie and Teo Ee Yi.
The world No. 49 Scottish duo secured a 26-24, 21-10 victory in 42 minutes to end the Malaysian pair’s campaign.
Tomorrow’s quarter-final clash will mark the first-ever meeting between Sze Fei-Izzuddin and the Grimley brothers in international competition.
Speaking after the win over the Chinese pair, Izzuddin said they were pleased with their overall performance despite facing strong resistance, particularly in the second set.
“We focused on our own game today. We feel that our performance is improving and we are moving in a positive direction.
“There were moments where we lost concentration slightly, but we are happy that we managed to recover and close out the match,” he said in an interview with representatives from the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
He also admitted that strong air movement inside the venue made conditions slightly difficult but stressed that it should not be used as an excuse for inconsistent play.
Meanwhile, several other Malaysian pairs also exited in the second round, including veteran duo Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong.
They lost to Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsak 21-13, 20-22, 14-21 in a match lasting one hour and five minutes.
Also eliminated were Bryan Jeremy Goonting and Muhammad Haikal Nazri, who fell to world No. 4 Indian pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
The Indian duo secured a 21-12, 21-19 victory in 44 minutes to confirm their place in the quarter-finals.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin’s progress into the last eight is viewed as an important boost as the pair continue working to improve their performances this season ahead of several major international tournaments later this year.
-wilayah.com.my
