
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Olympic silver medallist Goh V Shem and his new South Korean partner, Choi Sol Gyu, bowed out in the second round of the Thailand Masters in Bangkok on Thursday.
In their first tournament together, the duo struggled against Indonesia's world No. 21 Leo Rolly Carnando-Bagas Maulana, losing 21-13, 21-18 in just 33 minutes.
Despite the defeat, the experienced Malaysian-Korean combination gave the top seeds anxious moments, saving five match points to close the gap from 21-13 to 20-18 in the second game before eventually conceding.
The 36-year-old V Shem, who won silver with Tan Wee Kiong at the 2016 Rio Olympics, teamed up with Sol Gyu, 31, due to their shared sponsorship with badminton equipment brand Felet.
With more tournaments under their belt, V Shem-Sol Gyu are expected to improve as a pair.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's mixed doubles challenge ended after world No. 79 Loo Bing Kun-Ho Lo Ee fell 21-7, 18-21, 21-14 to Indonesia's Adnan Maulana-Indah Cahya Jamil in 37 minutes.