The Danish streak in Mülheim ended in the mixed doubles final against the third seeded Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai from Malaysia.
After having showed brilliant level and fighting spirit all week at the YONEX German Open, the Danish mixed doubles of Niclas Nøhr and Sara Thygesen did not have the capacity to come through today.
- I think it was really close. We started actually to play them really well in the end of the second set, and it’s really just bad luck, Thygesen said to Badminton Europe about the last few rallies in the final game.
After lacking behind in most of the match, the Danes found their spark and started to play some great winning points. They finally caught up with them at 18-18 and 19-19. After surviving one match point and fighting their way up to 20-20, their luck ran out and Goh and Lai could celebrate the German Open title with the match score: 21-14, 22-20.
Found the way when it was too late
The game plan for Danes in this final was like the days before to have quality in the first shots in each rally, but today the speed was not there.
- They played a really good and tactical match against us and we could not step up at their level, Nøhr explained and continued;
But at the very end, I think we actually found the way so it was a bit disappointing that we didn’t execute the last couple of rallies to get the second set.
Developing as a pair
Their Malaysian pair were also their opponents at their first match together after Nøhr’s injury, and Thygesen looks back at the development they have made from October and up until now.
- I feel we are getting better every time we play together. And we get to know each other more and more, even though we know each other really well already. So, yeah of course there is a difference, but we could not show it today.
- We have played really well and I think we can take a lot with us. We have stepped up our level a lot and I think we got a lot to prove further on also - that we can play at the same level. I think we did it and hopefully we can do that in the weeks coming, Nøhr said.
The Danish duo will not play at YONEX All England next week, because they are still ranked too low. But they are looking forward to Orleans International in a few weeks’ time where they are hoping they can step up and play as well as they did at this tournament.