Hoo and Lai book second Super 750 final of season
The Malaysian mixed doubles players beat sixth seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui at the French Open.
A 21–13, 21–9 victory over China’s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui sent Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing into the French Open mixed doubles final. The match at Arena Grand Paris lasted 31 minutes.
Hoo and Lai, ranked world No. 31, defeated opponents ranked No. 6 to earn another Super 750 title opportunity. They finished runners-up at the China Masters earlier in the season and reached the Denmark Open semi-finals the previous week.
The final will pit the Malaysians against either Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China, the world No. 1 pair, or French world No. 4 duo Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue.
Speaking after the match, Hoo expressed satisfaction at following his first consecutive semi-final appearances with a place in another final. He felt their physical condition was slightly better than their opponents’, allowing them to keep applying pressure.
Lai credited their performance to concentrating on their own rhythm, maintaining momentum and cutting down on straightforward mistakes. She also expressed gratitude to their sponsors, saying the independent pair had put considerable effort into finding financial support for their expenses.
