National men's doubles shuttler Goh Sze Fei has vowed to continue his partnership with his long-standing teammate Nur Izzuddin Rumsani as they aim to reestablish themselves in the world's top 10 next year.
Things have been progressing steadily for Sze Fei and Izzuddin since they rejoined forces after a brief five-month split between January and May.
They managed to secure three titles — the US Open Super 300, Kaoshiung Masters Super 100, and Abu Dhabi Masters Super 100 — propelling them from No. 53 to No. 26 in the world rankings within the next six months of the year.
Sze Fei is optimistic that he and Izzuddin can build on the progress made and has set his sights on returning to the world's top 10, starting with a strong performance at the Malaysia Open from Jan 9-14.
Sze Fei and Izzuddin were once ranked a career-best No. 9 last year, but their fortunes dwindled, leading to their eventual split.
Initially parting ways with Izzuddin due to a loss of trust in his partner, Sze Fei stated, "Once the season restarts, our immediate goal is to re-enter the world's top 10."
"If we can achieve that, then we will set the bar even higher. Our preparations for the Malaysia Open have been good, and we hope to translate them into a strong performance during the tournament. The draw is tough; in fact, there's hardly any easy draw nowadays. We will take it one round at a time."
Sze Fei and Izzuddin will kick off their campaign against Thailand's Supak Jomkoh-Kittinupon Kedren and could potentially face teammates Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, the third seeds, in the last 16.
First paired up in 2016 by then head coach Cheah Soon Kit, Sze Fei and Izzuddin are one of the longest-lasting men's doubles partnerships remaining in the world.
Considering the length of their partnership, it's fair to say that they have been underachieving.
After completing their eighth year together, they have only managed to secure two career-best Super 300 titles, including the German Open last year.
When asked how long they would give their second stint together, Sze Fei responded briefly: "As long as we still have what it takes, we will try our best."