Sze Fei-Izzuddin have golden chance to end year with better ranking than Aaron-Wooi Yik

PETALING JAYA: Professional doubles shuttlers Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin (pic) have a chance to end the year as the country’s top pair.

In order to achieve that, they have to produce better results than Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, starting on Wednesday.

Sze Fei-Izzuddin have been on fire in the second half of the year and are currently ranked seventh (78,716 points) in the world, just two rungs below Aaron-Wooi Yik (80,315).

With only about 2,000 points separating Sze Fei-Izzuddin with two-time Olympic Games bronze medal winners Aaron-Wooi Yik, anything can happen at the Finals.

Besides, since last year, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) have decided to increase the World Tour Finals ranking points from 12,000 to 14,000 for the winners.

For now though, Sze Fei-Izzuddin’s coach Teo Kok Siang is not looking far but is just happy with their consistent performance in the second part of the year.

“This year, Fei and Din have been quite consistent. The significant change that I see in them is that they play with more maturity and have developed good communication between them during matches,” said Kok Siang.

“Their preparation for the Finals is okay.

“The competition in Hangzhou will be stiff because we have eight good pairs and it will surely be a good challenge for Sze Fei-Izzuddin.

“I do hope that they will get good results for their self satisfaction and also to bring honour for the country.”

The duo stepped up this year by winning the Opens in Japan, China and Finland. They also reached the quarter-finals of the recent China Masters and earlier, they also made it to the top eight in the Indonesian Open, Singapore Open and Malaysian Masters.

In the Finals in Hangzhou, they also have a better draw than Aaron-Wooi Yik.

Sze Fei-Izzuddin are capable of beating all their Group A opponents like Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark and Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan and Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin.

In Group B with Aaron-Wooi Yik are He Jiting-Ren Xiangyu of China, and Indonesians Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto and Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza.

Aaron-Wooi Yik have never gone beyond the group stage in their previous outings.

Only the top two pairs will advance to the semi-finals.

GROUP STAGE DRAW

Men’s Singles

Malaysians unless stated

Group A: Anders Antonsen (Den), Chou Tien-chen (Tpe), Lee Zii Jia, Li Shifeng (Chn).

Group B: Shi Yuqi (Chn), Kodai Naraoka (Jpn), Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha), Jonatan Christie (Ina).

Women’s singles

Group A: Wang Zhiyi (Chn), Gregoria Mariska (Ina), Aya Ohori (Jpn), Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Tha).

Group B: Han Yue (Chn), An Se-young (Kor), Supanida Katethong (Tha), Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn).

Men’s Doubles

Group A: Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (Den), Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Lee Yang-Wang Chilin (Tpe), Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan (Tpe).

Group B: He Jiting-Ren Xiangyu (Chn), Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto (Ina), Sabar Karyaman-Moh Reza (Ina), Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.

Women’s Doubles

Group A: Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning (Chn), Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida (Jpn), Treesa Jolly-Gayathri Gopichand (Ind).

Group B: Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi (Jpn), Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee (Kor), Febriana Dwipuji-Amalia Cahaya (Ina), Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn).

Mixed Doubles

Group A: Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin (Chn), Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet (Hkg), Yang Po-hsuan-Hu Ling-fang (Tpe), Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong (Chn).

Group B: Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, Dejan Ferdinansyah-Gloria Emanuelle (Ina), Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito (Jpn).