KUALA LUMPUR: Winning the Malaysia Masters title tomorrow would be the perfect wedding gift for mixed doubles pair, Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai.
On Saturday, the independent world No. 18 checked into the final after stunning top seeds and Paris Olympics-bound Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei 21-11, 21-19 in the semi-finals at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
If they land the title, the former BAM pair acknowledged that it will be a moment they cherish forever.
Shevon said it would also end their six-year wait for another Super 500 title since winning the Singapore Open in 2018.
"A week after our wedding reception, we lost in the first round of the Thailand Open last week.
"So, if we can win the championship tomorrow, it will certainly be the most beautiful gift for our marriage," said Shevon, who won the Swiss Open with Soon Huat in March.
Soon Huat-Shevon, who were also finalists in 2017, will face third seeds Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas Mentari of Indonesia for the title.
Rinov-Pitha booked their ticket to the final after defeating second seeds Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Bøje from Denmark 26-24, 14-21, 21-18.
On paper, Soon Huat-Shevon have an advantage, having won five times in six meetings against Rinov-Pitha, including two recent encounters at the Asian Championships and the Hong Kong Open last year.
However, Soon Huat-Shevon remain cautious, realising that past records don't carry much bearing in a fresh match.
"If you look at the results, we have won more. But tomorrow is a new day, and we have to start from scratch," added Shevon.
Asked if their victory over Tang Jie-Ee Wei was due to the momentum from defeating them in the Swiss Open final, Soon Huat said it had nothing to do with their previous encounter.
"We were not trying to show that we are the best (compared to Tang Jie-Ee Wei). In every tournament, everyone wants to win. We noticed they were emotional, so we controlled ours better," he said.
Soon Huat-Shevon announced their engagement in December two years ago, and got married on May 4 this year.
For the record, the last Malaysians to win the Malaysia Masters title, also happened to be a mixed doubles pair, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, who downed Soon Huat-Shevon in the final in Sibu, Sarawak.