Kuala Lumpur: The World No. 7 mixed doubles player, Goh Liu Ying of Malaysia has set her sights on the Swiss Open that will be held in Basel, from March 2 to 7, after losing to Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Ashwini Ponnappa of India 21-18, 22-24, 20-22 in the quarterfinals of Toyota Thailand Open on Jan 22, 2021.
Before the Toyota Open, Goh/Chan lost to Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai also in the quarterfinals of the Yonex Thailand Open on Jan 15, 2021.
Speaking to Malaysian media, Goh said it’s going to be very important for her and her partner, Chan Peng Soon, to win the Swiss Open and to earn qualifying points for the Tokyo Olympics this July.
“We are preparing for the Swiss Open next month. We hope to do our best to win the tournament and earn points for the Olympics,” said Goh.
Both Goh and Chan were seeded top at the Swiss Open and will open against Nipitphon Phuangphuapet/Benyapa Aimsard of Thailand.
In Basel, they would face compatriots Hoo Pang Ron/Cheah Yee See in the second round, and could face No. 3 seeds Marcus Ellis/Lauren Smith of England in the semis.
The pair is currently being trained by Chin Eei Hui after the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) dropped the coach in December last year.
Meanwhile, Goh commented that the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO) by the Malaysian government to curb the spread of COVID-19 has affected her training but was grateful they were allowed to train again recently.
“We need to change some training routines due to the standard operating procedure (SOP) for COVID-19, because we had to do a lot of strength and weight training indoor as outdoor activities were not allowed,” continue Goh.
