KUALA LUMPUR: Husband-and-wife duo Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai have always found it challenging taking on fellow Malaysians, but they proved their superiority after defeating Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin to reach the Arctic Open semi-finals today.
World No. 10 Soon Huat-Shevon dominated No. 28 Pang Ron-Su Yin, securing a 21-19, 21-15 win in a 40-minute quarter-final showdown.
Soon Huat, 34, and Shevon, 31, are aiming to capture their third World Tour title of the year in Finland after victories at the Swiss Open and Malaysia Masters. Last month, they were runners-up at the China Open.
"It's always tough to play against compatriots, so we had to stay fully focused," said Shevon after the victory.
National coach Nova Widianto praised the duo for their recent performances.
"I really admire the way Soon Huat-Shevon are playing at the moment. They've been training harder than the younger players and delivering explosive performances," said Nova.
"Pang Ron-Su Yin have also shown improvement, and with more experience against top pairs, they'll become a stronger team in the future."