Early goodbye in Paris for Sze Fei-Izzuddin after surprise loss to Taiwan pair

PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles shuttlers Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani’s run at the French Open ended right when it began after they crashed out in the opening round.

They took on world No. 24 Taiwanese pair Lee Fang-chih-Lee Fang-jen in the first round at the Arena Porte de la Chapelle in Paris, but saw their campaign come to an early end despite being higher ranked than their opponents, losing the match 19-21, 17-21.

The Malaysian world No. 19 came out the gates strong, taking the lead at the start of the first game, but the Taiwanese duo eventually fought their way back to win the first game.

The second game was all Fang-chih-Fang-jen, as they took the lead at 4-4 and never looked back, winning the match in 44 minutes.

The result was a surprise as Sze Fei-Izzuddin came into the fixture having won all three previous encounters against the Taiwan players, winning the two meetings last year at the Kaohsiung Masters and US Open.

Meanwhile, luck was better for Malaysia’s other men’s pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun as they advanced to the second round after defeating Canada’s Kevin Lee-Ty Alexander Lindeman.

It was a commanding performance by the world No. 18 as they won 21-16, 21-8 against the world No. 38 Canadians.

Despite ending the match in a swift 25 minutes, Wei Chong-Kai Wun only found their rhythm halfway through the first game, holding the lead after it was tied at 9-9.

Wei Chong-Kai Wun did not give their opponents any breathing space as they breezed through the second game, booking their spot in the second round where they face top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty of India.

The world No. 1 made their way into the second round after taking down Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi 21-13, 24-22 in the opening match.

It was Satwiksairaj-Chirag’s fifth win out of eight meetings with the Malaysians after winning both encounters last year at the Swiss Open and Asia Championships in Dubai.