KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 8 — Professional mixed doubles duo Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai clinched their spot in the second round of the 2025 Malaysia Open after defeating the American pair Presley Smith-Jennie Gai today.
The fourth-seeded pair had no trouble securing the win, taking the match in straight sets, 21-15, 21-19, in just 36 minutes.
Despite the victory, Shevon said she and her partner were not satisfied with their performance, highlighting that many unforced errors were made during the game.
“I think it’s an honour that we won the first game for Malaysia. Of course, in the first match, we struggled to find the rhythm, and it wasn’t that perfect...but my partner played very well and she was very composed. I think a lot of work needs to be done for the next game,” she said.
Meanwhile, Soon Huat hoped to stay focused in a bid to see off Indian pairs — either S Karunakaran-A Variyath or A Surya-A Pramutesh — in the second round tomorrow.
“We have to prepare well and stay focused to take it step by step. We target to at least reach the quarter-final,” he added. — Bernama
