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New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
UPDATED: Malaysian badminton makes history with men's pairs dominating world's top 2 rankings
KUALA LUMPUR: Goh Sze Fei–Nur Izzuddin Rumsani held their nerve to keep their place at the summit of the world rankings, and in doing so, ensured they remain the leading pair in what is now a historic Malaysian one-two in men's doubles. The world No. 1 duo survived a scare at the Indonesia Open on Thursday, rallying to beat world No. 28 compatriots Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub–Tan Wee Kiong 21-14, 16-21, 21-14 in a tense second-round clash at the Istora Senayan. It was not a match to be taken lightly. The two pairs had met three times previously, with Sze Fei–Izzuddin holding a narrow 2-1 edge, a reminder that their fellow independent and training mates are no pushovers. Had they lost, Sze Fei–Izzuddin would have been overtaken by fellow Malaysians Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik, who are projected to move up to No. 2 despite a first-round exit, thanks to the rolling points system and key upsets in the draw. But by advancing to the quarter-finals, Sze Fei–Izzuddin retained enough points to hold onto top spot with the current projected total of 91,090, narrowly ahead of Aaron–Wooi Yik's 89,870. Sze Fei–Izzuddin could now look to extend their lead depending on how far they go in Jakarta. It's still a landmark moment for Malaysian badminton, with two pairs set to be officially ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world when the new rankings are updated next Tuesday, a feat never before achieved in the country's storied history in men's doubles. The last time Malaysia had two pairs in the top three came in 2006, when Koo Kien Keat–Chan Chong Ming were ranked No. 2 and Choong Tan Fook–Lee Wan Wah sat at No. 3. But never have two Malaysian pairs simultaneously occupied the top two spots, until now. Aaron–Wooi Yik, the 2022 world champions, gained ground after Denmark's Kim Astrup–Anders Skaarup Rasmussen were ousted in the second round by Japan's Takuro Hoki–Yugo Kobayashi. The Danes lost 29-27, 21-11 in a match they needed to win to defend their semi-final points from last year, and are expected to fall to 87,520 and drop to third in the rankings. It was a pressure-filled outing for Sze Fei–Izzuddin, who had quarter-final points to defend from last year and needed the win to avoid being dethroned just two weeks after becoming Malaysia's first new men's pair to reach No. 1 since Goh V Shem–Tan Wee Kiong in 2016. Next up, Sze Fei–Izzuddin will face Indonesia's world No. 8 pair Sabar Karyaman Gutama–Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani in the quarter-finals. The two pairs have met only twice previously, with their last encounter, at the China Masters in November last year, going down to the wire before the Indonesians edged a thrilling 18-21, 21-18, 23-21 win.
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Sze Fei-Izzuddin cling on to world No. 1 spot
KUALA LUMPUR: Goh Sze Fei–Nur Izzuddin Rumsani held their nerve to keep their place at the summit of the world rankings — and in doing so, ensured they remain the leading pair in what is now a historic Malaysian one-two in men's doubles. The world No. 1 duo survived a major scare at the Indonesia Open today, rallying to beat world No. 28 compatriots Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub–Tan Wee Kiong 21-14, 16-21, 21-14 in a tense second-round clash at the Istora Senayan. Had they lost, Sze Fei–Izzuddin would have been overtaken by fellow Malaysians Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik, who are projected to move up to No. 2 despite a first-round exit, thanks to the rolling points system and key upsets in the draw. But by advancing to the quarter-finals, Sze Fei–Izzuddin retained enough points to hold onto top spot with a projected total of 91,090 — narrowly ahead of Aaron–Wooi Yik's 89,870. Sze Fei–Izzuddin could now look to extend their lead depending on how far they go in Jakarta. It's still a landmark moment for Malaysian badminton — with two pairs set to be officially ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the world when the new rankings are updated next Tuesday, a feat never before achieved in the country's storied history in men's doubles. Aaron–Wooi Yik, the 2022 world champions, gained ground after Denmark's Kim Astrup–Anders Skaarup Rasmussen were ousted in the second round by Japan's Takuro Hoki–Yugo Kobayashi. The Danes, who were defending semi-final points from last year, are expected to fall to 87,520 and drop to third in the rankings. It was a pressure-filled outing for Sze Fei–Izzuddin, who had quarter-final points to defend from last year and needed the win to avoid being dethroned just two weeks after becoming Malaysia's first new men's pair to reach No. 1 since Goh V Shem–Tan Wee Kiong in 2016.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin cruise into second round at Singapore Open
MALAYSIA's world number one men's doubles pair, Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, kicked off their Singapore Open campaign with an easy win over Taiwanese pair Lee Fang-Chih and Lee Fang-Jen at the Singapore Indoor Stadium today. The professional duo needed just 32 minutes to secure a 21-13, 21-11 victory before a strong crowd of Malaysian supporters. Sze Fei noted that they had great synergy throughout the game and will now focus on their next match against compatriots Wan Arif Wan Junaidi and Yap Roy King, who earlier defeated the French pair Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi 21-13, 21-18 in 36 minutes. Asked if being ranked number one boosted their morale, Nur Izzuddin said, for him, it's 'just a number.' 'We will focus on improving our game. We always have a target, but we just want to enjoy the match,' Sze Fei added. Meanwhile, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik also advanced to the second round after defeating Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard of Denmark in a 48-minute battle. The two-time Olympic bronze medalists won 21-19, 24-22 against the world number 16 pair, repeating their victory against the duo in the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters. Wooi Yik noted that they made a number of unforced errors in the second set but was glad they were able to come back and clinch the win. 'On the first day, I was able to control the shuttle well. I'm happy to have regained focus in the second set,' he told the media. Aaron added that back-to-back finals at the Thailand Open and Malaysia Masters did not affect their game and hoped to continue with this positive stride in Singapore. Aaron-Wooi Yik will meet Japanese pair Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi who defeated Malaysian duo Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi 21-16, 21-18. Newly-crowned Malaysia Masters champions Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun also showed great performance to defeat Taiwanese pair Chen Zhi Ray-Lin Yu Chieh 21-18, 21-19. Wei Chong noted that winning the Malaysia Masters boost their morale, pushing them to enjoy their opening match today. 'We play well today but we let go of six match points in the second set because we slowed down our game a bit and our opponent managed to catch up with us,' he said, adding that they will keep their focus and enjoy the next match against Huang Di-Liu Yang of China. The country's top women's doubles pair, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah also advanced to the second round after defeating Lui Lok Lok-Tsang Hiu Yan of Hong Kong 21-16, 21-18 in 33 minutes. Thinaah said although she is not entirely satisfied with her performance, she hopes to be better prepared for tomorrow's match 'Yes, unforced errors quite a lot from both of us but we stick to our game play and motivate each other throughout the match,' she told Bernama. Earlier, national men's singles player Leong Jun Hao also advanced to the next round after receiving a walkover from Chinese player Lei Lan Xi. Next, world number 25 Jun Hao will face fifth-seeded Jonathan Christie of Indonesia for a place in the quarterfinals of the Super 750 tournament. Meanwhile, it was a disappointing outcome for national men's doubles pair Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal Nazri, who lost to Indian duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty 21-16, 21-13.
Barnama
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Barnama
Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Cruise Into Second Round At Singapore Open
SINGAPORE, May 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's world number one men's doubles pair, Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, kicked off their Singapore Open campaign with an easy win over Taiwanese pair Lee Fang-Chih and Lee Fang-Jen at the Singapore Indoor Stadium today. The professional duo needed just 32 minutes to secure a 21-13, 21-11 victory before a strong crowd of Malaysian supporters. Sze Fei noted that they had great synergy throughout the game and will now focus on their next match against compatriots Wan Arif Wan Junaidi and Yap Roy King, who earlier defeated the French pair Eloi Adam and Leo Rossi 21-13, 21-18 in 36 minutes. bootstrap slideshow Asked if being ranked number one boosted their morale, Nur Izzuddin said, for him, it's "just a number." 'We will focus on improving our game. We always have a target, but we just want to enjoy the match,' Sze Fei added. Meanwhile, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik also advanced to the second round after defeating Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard of Denmark in a 48-minute battle. The two-time Olympic bronze medalists won 21-19, 24-22 against the world number 16 pair, repeating their victory against the duo in the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters. Wooi Yik noted that they made a number of unforced errors in the second set but was glad they were able to come back and clinch the win. 'On the first day, I was able to control the shuttle well. I'm happy to have regained focus in the second set,' he told the media.
The Star
28-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Sze Fei-Izzuddin stand as world No. 1 with smooth win in Singapore
PETALING JAYA: Nearly a year after reuniting, Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani have reached the pinnacle as the world No. 1 men's doubles pair. Their debut match as the top-ranked pair went smoothly, defeating Taiwan's Lee Fang-chih and Lee Fang-jen 21-13, 21-11 in the Singapore Open's opening round on Wednesday (May 28). While many players struggled with the strong drift at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Sze Fei and Izzuddin adapted well and maintained control throughout the 32-minute match. They will face compatriots Wan Arif Wan Junaidi and Yap Roy King in the second round. "Our strategy worked well, and our preparation was on point," Izzuddin said in a BWF interview. "Our main focus is to play our best and not let anything interfere. We just want to enjoy the match," he added. Sze Fei and Izzuddin separated in January 2023 due to personal differences but reunited on May 31st last year to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Although they missed out on that goal, they quickly found success by winning the US Open and have continued to build momentum. Their decision to leave the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) did not slow them down. They went on to win six more titles, including the Indian Open earlier this year. "We've always enjoyed the process because we believe in it," said Sze Fei. "We are grateful to our team and sponsors who have supported us all the way. The world No. 1 ranking is something we dedicate to the entire country," he added. They view the progress of the national men's doubles department positively, with Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik currently ranked fourth and Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun sitting in seventh. "Now we have three strong pairs. This is a very good sign for the men's doubles team. No matter who is on court, we are all fighting for Malaysia and for the flag," he added.
