KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 12 mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai are aiming to regain their winning form after a period of inconsistent performances.
The husband-wife duo took a step in the right direction by advancing to the last 16 of the Hong Kong Open with a convincing 21-11, 21-14 victory over South Korea's Ko Sung Hyun-Eom Hye Won on Wednesday.
Since their triumph at the Malaysia Masters in May, Soon Huat-Shevon have struggled to replicate that level of success.
Shevon stressed the importance of breaking through to the semi-finals, a feat they've failed to achieve in their last four tournaments following the Malaysia Masters win.
The pair did reach a morale-boosting quarter-final at the Korea Open two weeks ago, signaling a potential return to form.
With the season entering its final stretch, Soon Huat-Shevon need a string of strong results to maintain their position in the top eight and qualify for the lucrative World Tour Finals.
"We're happy to win this battle between two 'veteran pairs," said Shevon of Wednesday's win.
"Hopefully, this sets us up for a good run this week. We're aiming to reach the semi-finals - it's been a while."
She added: "Our main goal for the remainder of the season is to qualify for the World Tour Finals. To achieve that, we need to continue scoring upset wins and performing consistently."
The pair have shown flashes of brilliance this year, also winning the Swiss Open in March.
Shevon explained that their Malaysia Masters triumph was crucial in maintaining their motivation after missing out on Paris Olympics qualification.
"The Malaysia Masters win was very refreshing," Shevon reflected.
"It's fulfilling because we're handling everything on our own while maintaining performance and training quality. Our bodies need extra recovery care, which we don't have the luxury for, but we're managing."
Malaysia's strong representation in the mixed doubles competition continued as Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin and Yap Roy King-Valeree Siow also advanced to the next round.
Pang Ron-Su Yin defeated Commonwealth Games winners Terry Hee-Jessica Tan of Singapore 21-17, 21-16, while Roy King-Valeree outplayed Hong Kong's Deng Chi Fai-Leung Yuet Yee.
However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for the Malaysian contingent.
Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing suffered an early exit, losing 18-21, 21-14, 21-11 to China's Cheng Xing-Zhang Zhi.
In men's doubles, young pair Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai, who are preparing for the World Junior Championships next month, gained invaluable experience despite a 21-12, 21-17 loss to reigning world champions Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Seung Jae of South Korea.
On a brighter note, professional pair Lim Tze Jian-Wong Tien Ci started strong, ousting Taiwan's Liu Kuang Heng-Yang Po Han 13-21, 21-14, 21-16.
The women's doubles saw Go Pei Kee-Teoh Mei Xing eliminated after a 21-10, 21-12 loss to Indonesia's Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi.