Goh-Izzuddin determined to bounce back stronger after early exit

ODENSE: The disappointment was evident on the faces of men’s doubles players Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani following their first-round loss at the Denmark Open.

Their impressive run, which included three titles over the past three months—the Arctic Open (last week), China Open (September), and Japan Open (August)—came to an abrupt halt as they fell 13-21, 13-21 to Thailand’s Kittinupong Kedren and Dechapol Puavanarukroh at the Jyske Bank Arena yesterday.

However, the pair refused to make excuses.

“To win, we need to be both physically and mentally strong, and we struggled in those aspects during the Denmark Open,” said Izzuddin. “We recognize that it has been tiring leading up to the Arctic Open, but that’s no excuse. Sze Fei and I will prepare for the Kumamoto Masters next (Nov 12-17) and focus on areas that need improvement.”

Sze Fei added, “The Thai players, who are also our good friends, performed exceptionally well. We couldn’t elevate our game today.”