Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie open their Japan Masters campaign in Kumamoto today against China’s Zhu Yijun and Li Qian, seeking to reverse a difficult run of early exits, The Star reported.
The husband-and-wife mixed doubles pair enter the tournament following a first-round exit at last year’s Kumamoto edition despite holding a sixth seed, according to The Star.
A tougher challenge awaits in the second round should they advance past the opening hurdle. Potential opponents include Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara or fellow Malaysians Chen Tang Jie and Chan Wen Tse for a quarter-final berth, The Star reported.
Independent doubles head coach Ameer Amri Zainuddin insists the experienced pair retain enough quality to break out of their recent slump if they maintain their belief and training ethics, The Star reported.
“I think every pair goes through ups and downs. Their level will occasionally drop, and on certain occasions, they are completely mystified as to the root cause,” Ameer told The Star.
“What matters to me is how we look at the situation and try to stay positive. My job is to make sure they continue training and maintain their momentum,” Ameer told The Star.
“As long as our outlook remains upbeat and we trust what they are capable of doing, success is bound to happen eventually,” Ameer told The Star.
Ameer expressed satisfaction that despite early defeats across the European leg last month—including the Arctic Open, Denmark Open, and French Open—the pair continue to display a strong attitude in training, The Star reported.
“Naturally, discouragement creeps in periodically, yet they consistently report for practice with high spirits, a proper mindset, and an optimistic outlook,” Ameer told The Star.
“Considering how old they are, I find that behavior quite commendable, and my goal is to assist them in rebuilding their self-assurance,” Ameer told The Star.
The pair previously missed out on a medal target during their final Asian Games appearance in Aichi-Nagoya in September, The Star reported.
