BADMINTON
Top Indian pair stunned by Sze Fei-Izzuddin's meteoric rise
The rise of Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin is so meteoric that it left their men’s doubles’ rivals surprised and shocked, as explained by India’s number one pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty.
The world number seven pair were beaten comprehensively in straight games by the Malaysians at the India Open semi-finals in January.
Goh-Izzuddin went on to secure the Super 750 title after beating South Koreans Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae in a three-game thriller for their first silverware of 2025.
Advertisement
Rankireddy-Shetty admitted they were stunned by how much Goh-Izzuddin improved, in the aftermath of the defeat on their turf.
“These guys suddenly started playing well. You get confidence when you win tournaments. They won a few tournaments (in 2024), and I can see they don’t have nerves.
“They were quite good at the front court. They took us by surprise.
“We’ve played them multiple times, but this is the first time we saw a completely different game, especially in the first two-three strokes. They also got confident with the flick serve,” the pair told the Badminton World Federation.
Rankireddy-Shetty’s shock was understandable, as they are used to beating Goh-Izzuddin.
In eight meetings, the Malaysians have only won twice, with the latest one coming in India.
Before that, the now world number two pair had beaten the Indians four years ago at the Denmark Open.
With a series of brilliant performances in recent months, Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin 🇲🇾 will be the men's pair to watch as the season unfolds.https://t.co/BM0OtkMotB— BWF (@bwfmedia) February 27, 2025
Those records are now a thing of the past after both shuttlers took the men's doubles by storm by winning the Japan Open, Arctic Open, China Open and recently India Open.
Even more impressive, these victories were achieved in the span of six months.
While they continue to make waves on the international stage, the pair remain humble and even insist they are “nobodies.”
They will continue to use that underdog tag to create more surprises, beginning with next month’s All-England where they have never made it past the first round.
Must-Watch Video