Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai will have a nice prize bounty for their honeymoon after they became the first Malaysians since Lee Chong Wei to win on home ground after capturing the Malaysia Masters mixed doubles title.

“Our honeymoon will be a good one. We have yet to decide where, because there are plenty of tournaments which we need to prepare for,” joked Goh, with his wife smiling and looking on for an immediate answer.

The world number 18 pair got the ideal wedding present just three weeks after they tied the knot, when they turned in an impressive performance to beat Indonesian pair Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas Mentari 21-18, 21-19 in the final.

It marked a far cry from last week’s Thailand Open, where they lost in the first round and did not speak to each other afterwards.

“We didn’t speak to each other the whole night. But we’re married now, and we told ourselves we are in this together, so we will find a way to overcome any hurdles and challenges.

“But this week, our dream to win at home has come through. We have always seen others do it, and now it is our turn. To bring home the gold medal for our fans is a dream,” they added.

2024 has been a fantastic year for Goh-Lai, who also won the Swiss Open title in March.




Lai said winning the Malaysia Masters is as sweet as that victory in Basel.

“We had made the final of the Swiss Open three times before finally becoming champions. That was a sweet one, and this title ranks up there with that. Seeing my family cheering us on brought tears.”

Goh-Lai pocket RM156,000 for their victory which they may use a portion for their honeymoon.

Their immediate aim is to find consistent medical support including physiotherapy and recovery after matches.

“We do not have medical support, and we have to learn to take care of ourselves. After tough matches, it is tough for us to recover. We need to find something consistent after this,” he said.

Goh-Lai became the first Malaysians in six years to win at home, since Lee won the Malaysia Open in 2018.