Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin are looking unstoppable at the moment.

The in-form Malaysians smashed another barrier by defeating CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open 2024 top seeds Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang for the first time in four meetings on Saturday. The come-from-behind 19-21 21-17 21-18 win sent them into their third final in five tournaments.

“We prepared well, we weren’t thinking about the result. The focus was on giving our best and that was key. We were calm and enjoyed the game,” said Goh post-match.

The bout against defending champions Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen at Energia Arena today would mark the fourth final of the season for the world No.8s. Now independent shuttlers, they arrived in Vantaa having won the Japan and China Opens, their maiden Super 750 and Super 1000 titles respectively.

“We’ve improved our communication a lot since reuniting and that’s been beneficial,” said Izzuddin. “We are quite happy with our performance but the job isn’t done yet. There’s another test to go, so keep focus.”

Second seeds Astrup/Rasmussen advanced after seeing off qualifiers Kittinupong Kedren/Dechapol Puavaranukroh 21-14 21-19 in a later clash. Despite their 6-1 record, the world No.2 Danes are wary of their final opponents.

“You can’t rely on just a single tactic, you need to be good all over the court to beat those guys. It’s about raising our level one more time to give ourselves a chance,” said Rasmussen.

This is Goh and Izzuddin’s first Super 500 final. Currently, they are the only player or pair from their country with a title each at the other three levels (1000, 750 and 300) of the HSBC BWF World Tour.

→ Results (Semifinals)

→ Order of play (Finals)

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“I’m grateful I can play the final. Already, I want to show what I really have and what I’ve trained for. I hope to enjoy every moment on court.” – Ratchanok Intanon on reaching her first title match since winning the Spain Masters in March

“He’s my friend, we respect each other. It will be a friendly tussle but that won’t make it any easier. I must prepare for a psychological battle.” – Chou Tien Chen on playing Jonatan Christie for the men’s singles crown

“The most important thing about playing in Europe is adjusting to the time difference. But with Finland, it’s not that big a change from China so it’s easier for us to handle it.” – Jiang Zhen Bang on making another final in Vantaa

“It was just a cramp. That’s normal because it was a taxing match. Nothing serious.” – Pearly Tan on her injury