KUALA LUMPUR: Recently crowned Japan Open winners Goh Sze Fei- Nur Izzuddin Rumsani were swiftly brought back to earth after being knocked out by compatriots Haikal Nazri-Choong Hon Jian in the first round of the Korea Open on Wednesday.
World No. 19 Haikal-Hon Jian prevailed 13-21, 21-16, 21-16 in a tightly contested battle between the two pairs, who were facing off in an official tournament for the first time.
Hon Jian said that reacting quicker on the court made all the difference for them.
"In the first game, we didn't play with good speed and lost many points through unforced errors," Hon Jian told SPOTV after the match.
"We tried to add pace to our gameplay, and it worked well, helping us turn things around."
The early-round defeat left a bittersweet taste for Izzuddin-Sze Fei, who would have loved to end their national team careers on a high by making it two victories in a row.
The pair has been granted a release by the BA of Malaysia (BAM) and will turn professional on Sept 1.
Haikal wished his seniors the best of luck in their future endeavours.
"I want to wish good luck to Din and Fei. Whether they're with BAM or as independents, they're still representing Malaysia after all."
Following their second-round exit in Japan last week, Haikal-Hon Jian hope to do better in Seoul.
They will take on the South Korean scratch pair Choi Sol Gyu-Heo Kwang Hee in the last 16 on Thursday.
Haikal,Hon Jian have plenty to play for, knowing that they are on course to qualify for the lucrative season-ending World Tour Finals, exclusive to only the top eight performers of the season across all five events.
Currently ranked fifth in the HSBC Race to Finals rankings, Haikal-Hon Jian hope to improve their position by raking in more points.
"Being in a good position right now, it's our target to qualify for the Finals, so like it or not, we need to fight hard to keep ourselves in the top eight," Haikal said.
"This week, the draw looks favourable, and now that we've managed to overcome this challenging first round, we want to progress further and secure more points."
Haikal-Hon Jian have been one of the most improved national men's pairs over the last 10 months, winning two Super 300 titles at the Syed Modi International and Orleans Masters.