Sze Fei-Izzuddin miss chance to make history, set to lose world No. 1 ranking
Yesterday (July 19), Sze Fei-Izzuddin went down 16-21, 17-21 to South Korean hotshots Seo Seung-jae-Kim Won-ho in the final at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Seung-jae-Won-ho, who are currently ranked No. 3 in the world, would also officially take over from Sze Fei-Izzuddin as the new world No. 1 pair when the rankings list updates tomorrow (July 21).
The independent pair were hoping to become the first Malaysians in the men's doubles to win the title in Japan more than once, but found the Koreans too hot to handle and lost out in a fast-paced match lasting just 38 minutes.
Sze Fei admitted that Seung-jae-Won-ho were the better pair on the day.
"The Koreans are very fast. We tried to catch up with them, but they were just too good," said Sze Fei, in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
"We had nothing to prove against them. We just wanted to play our best and enjoy the game."
It was Sze Fei-Izzuddin's second defeat to Seung-jae-Won-ho in three meetings after also coming up second best to the latter in the All-England second round in March.
The Malaysians' sole victory over the high-flying Koreans so far came in the Indian Open final in January.
Seung-jae-Won-ho have established themselves as the pair to beat this year as they added the Japan Open crown to their titles in the All-England, Malaysian Open, German Open and Indonesian Open.
The 27-year-old Seung-jae also gained sweet revenge over Sze Fei-Izzuddin after losing to the latter in the final in Japan last year with former partner Kang Min-hyuk.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin, though, can take heart that this is their best showing this year since their triumph at the Indian Open.
The pair had made it to their first final since the win in India after failing to reach the last four in all their other outings this year.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin are now looking to bounce back quickly in the China Open, which starts tomorrow in Changzhou.
The duo are hoping to defend their title in China and snatch back their No. 1 ranking from Seung-jae-Won-ho.
"We will prepare ourselves better next time and just focus on ourselves," said Izzuddin.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-England defender Carter the target of racist abuse during Euro 2025
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Women's International Friendly - England Press Conference - St. George's Park, Burton upon Trent, Britain - June 28, 2025 England's Jess Carter during the press conference Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra/File Photo ZURICH (Reuters) -England defender Jess Carter said she has been the target of racist abuse since Euro 2025 began in Switzerland, and announced on Sunday that she is stepping away from social media for the duration of the tournament. "Whilst every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result I don't agree or think that it's ok to target someone's appearance or race," Carter, who is Black, posted in a lengthy Instagram statement. "I am taking this measure to protect myself in a bid to keep my focus on helping the team anyway I can. "Hopefully speaking out will make the people writing this abuse think twice so that others won't have to deal with it." The 27-year-old has started all four of England's games at the tournament. England play Italy in the semifinals on Tuesday in Geneva. "We have made historic changes with this Lionesses squad that I am so proud to be a part of and my hope is that by speaking out about this it will make another positive change for all." FA CEO Mark Bullingham condemned the abuse. "Our priority is Jess and giving her all the support she needs," Bullingham said in a statement. "We strongly condemn those responsible for this disgusting racism." Bullingham said the FA has been in contact with UK police, who are in touch with the relevant social media platform. "We are working with police to ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice," he said. "Regrettably this is not the first time this has happened to an England player, so we had measures in place to allow us to respond quickly and where possible provide information to support any potential police action." (Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Toby Chopra)
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Zahid hails Pearly-Thinaah, Sze Fei-Izzuddin's fighting spirit after Japan Open run
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi congratulated national doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani for finishing runners-up in the women's and men's events, respectively, at the 2025 Japan Open badminton championships. Ahmad Zahid described the fighting spirit, high discipline and strong determination shown by the two pairs as a source of inspiration for all Malaysians. "Continue to move forward, keep fighting. Don't ever feel afraid or retreat. Every drop of sweat paves the way to even greater success. "We all stand firmly behind you. For the country, for Malaysia!" he posted on Facebook. In today's Japan Open finals, Pearly-Thinaah emerged as runners-up after losing 5-21, 14-21 to world number one Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning of China. Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin, meanwhile, went down 16-21, 17-21 to South Korea's Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae. As runners-up, each Malaysian pair took home USD33,250 (RM141,000). – BERNAMA
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Ahmad Zahid congratules Pearly-Thinaah, Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin for runner-up finishes
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has lauded national badminton pairs Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani for their runner-up finishes at the 2025 Japan Open. Ahmad Zahid commended their fighting spirit, discipline, and determination, calling them an inspiration for Malaysians. 'Continue to move forward, keep fighting. Don't ever feel afraid or retreat. Every drop of sweat paves the way to even greater success,' he said in a Facebook post. In the finals, Pearly-Thinaah fell to China's world number one pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning with scores of 5-21, 14-21. Meanwhile, Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin lost 16-21, 17-21 to South Korea's Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae. Both Malaysian pairs earned USD33,250 (RM141,000) as runners-up. - Bernama Gold medallists China's Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning and silver medallists Malaysia's Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralithara pose on the podium after their women's doubles final match on the final day of the Japan Open badminton tournament at Tokyo Gymnasium in Tokyo on July 20, 2025. - Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP
