THEIR luck finally ran out in the deciding game. Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong are not going to come back from Gwangju, South Korea, with a World Tour title.
After the Malaysian duo had fought back from the dead to save the second game by surviving two match points against Taiwan’s Lee Yang-Wang Chi Lin in the Korea Masters men’s doubles final, it was thought that it might just be their lucky day.
But V Shem-Wee Kiong, the Rio Olympic silver medallists, just couldn’t carry on their momentum.
They must have used up their luck.
After losing the first game 19-21, the independent pair trailed Lee Yang-Chi Lin 18-20 in the second. But the Malaysian duo snatched four points in a row to keep the contest alive.
It became a touch and go thriller in the rubber but the Taiwanese pair were able to maintain their composure at the crucial stages.
Lee Yang-Chi Lin were rewarded with their fourth title of the year, having won the Spain and Orleans Masters as well as the India Open.
V Shem-Wee Kiong, ranked World No 13, won the Thailand Masters and Taiwan Open this year.
Despite the setback, V Shem-Wee Kiong still have an outside chance of qualifying for the season-ending World Tour Finals in Guangzhou next month.
It will depend on their results at the Syed Modi International in India next week. They are currently ranked 10th in the Road To Guangzhou where the top eight pairs will make the cut.
Mixed doubles Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai also fell at the last hurdle when they lost to fifth-seeded Hong Kong pair Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet 21-14, 21-15 in 34 minutes in the Korea Masters.
Soon Huat-Shevon, who had ended their semi-final jinx on Saturday after failing at this stage in four previous World Tour events, were unable to raise their game against their more experienced opponents.
Soon Huat-Shevon will now switch their attention to the Sea Games in Philippines (Nov 30-Dec11) where Indonesia’s Praveen Jordan-Melati Daeva Oktavianti will start as favourites.