Rising with the rank
PETALING JAYA: Professional men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani are growing stronger as a pair under the spotlight of being the world No. 1.
And that's good news to the players' assistant coach Ameer Amri Zainuddin, who sees it as a promising sign.
'If you look at their last three outings in Malaysia, Indonesia and especially Singapore, they've shown more composure and maturity,' said Ameer.
'One of the positives I've noticed is that the communication between Sze Fei and Izzuddin has also improved since they returned to training after those three tournaments,' he said.
Since rising to the top of the world rankings on May 27, they have reached the quarter-finals of three consecutive tournaments – the Malaysian Masters, Singapore Open and Indonesian Open.
They became the first Malaysian men's pair to hit No. 1 since Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong did so in 2016 – a feat achieved nine years ago.
Sze Fei and Izzuddin currently sit at the top with 91,090 ranking points, but their lead is being closely chased by compatriots and former world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (89,870) and world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun (71,843).
Denmark's Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen are in third with 88,061, while South Korea's Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae, who have already captured five titles this year, are not far behind at No. 4 with 85,805.
Ameer knows Sze Fei-Izzuddin face the pressure of retaining the top spot when they compete in the Japan Open from July 15-20 and the China Open from July 22-27 but he is not worried.
As the defending champions in both Opens, the duo risk losing valuable ranking points if they lose early.
'Carrying the weight of being world No. 1 can be tough, but at the same time, I'm glad to see strong competition from other national pairs like Aaron-Wooi Yik and (Man) Wei Chong-(Tee) Kai Wun. It's positive,' said Ameer.
'In fact, the depth in the squad helps ease the pressure of being the sole pair expected to deliver titles for the country.
'Sze Fei-Izzuddin are not too fixated on the world rankings. Of course, it's a great achievement to be ranked No. 1, but that's not their main focus right now.
'What matters more to them at this stage is maintaining consistency in every tournament they compete in.'
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