KUALA LUMPUR: Men's doubles Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani brought down the Great Wall by defeating world No. 1 Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang in the Arctic Open semi-finals on Saturday.
The world No. 8 duo now face the daunting task of overcoming world No. 2 and European champions Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen in the final in Vantaa, Finland, later today.
Independent pair Sze Fei-Izzuddin pulled off a stunning 19-21, 21-17, 21-18 win over Wei Keng-Wang Chang, marking their first victory in four meetings.
However, the final presents another tough challenge, with the Danes holding a 6-1 head-to-head advantage over the Malaysians, making them the favourites to claim the title.
Despite this, Izzuddin is optimistic about their chances and says they aim to be at their best for the final.
"We're happy with our form, but the tournament isn't over yet. We still have one more match to go," said the 26-year-old shuttler.
Sze Fei, on the other hand, downplayed their recent success, saying that they aren't focusing too much on results but are instead playing with passion.
Since leaving the national team two months ago, Sze Fei-Izzuddin have been sensational, capturing the Japan Open and China Open titles.
"We're just trying to play our best without overthinking the results. That's been the key," said Sze Fei.
"It's more about our preparation and enjoying the journey."
Defending champions Astrup-Rasmussen booked their place in the final after beating Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Kittinupong Kedren 21-14, 21-19 in their semi-final clash.
For the record, Sze Fei-Izzuddin's only win over the Danish pair came at the 2022 French Open. However, given their current form, the Malaysians stand a good chance of reversing their fortunes in the final.