KUCHING: National men’s doubles pair, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, fought back from a game down to reach the Thailand Open semi-finals after defeating Scottish twins Christopher Grimley-Matthew Grimley in Bangkok today.
It was the first meeting between both pairs, and the unfamiliarity showed early on.
The Malaysian duo struggled to settle into their rhythm in the opening game as the Scottish brothers dictated the pace with quick drives and aggressive exchanges to take the first set 21-19.
But the second set told a different story.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin looked far sharper, gradually adapting to the Grimleys’ style while capitalising on every opening presented to them for cleaner finishes and more controlled rallies.
The third seeds eventually levelled the contest 21-15 before completely taking over the deciding game.
By the third set, the Malaysians were clearly reading the Grimley brothers’ movements far better, anticipating returns earlier and controlling the tempo of the rallies with confidence.
From there, momentum swung heavily in favour of the national pair, who cruised through the decider 21-8 to seal their spot in the last four in Bangkok.
Awaiting them in the semi-finals are top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty of India.
