KUALA LUMPUR —  National mixed doubles shuttlers Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai made it to the quarter-finals at the Denmark Open today to give the Malaysian camp a needed boost.

Ranked eighth in the world, the pair overcame Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara 21-13, 21-18 in a 35-minute match at the Arena Fyn in Odense, Free Malaysia Today reported.

The husband-and-wife duo capitalised on their opponents’ unforced errors while keeping their own mistakes to a minimum throughout the straight-game victory.

Malaysia suffered a major setback in the opening round when seven representatives were knocked out, including men’s doubles pairs Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik and Goh Sze Fei–Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, ranked world No 2 and No 3 respectively, who both crashed out early.

Soon Huat and Shevon will next face either compatriots and reigning world champions Cheng Tang Jie–Toh Ee Wei or China’s Gao Jia Xuan–Wu Meng Ying in the quarter-finals tomorrow.

The pair are still seeking their first title of the season, with their last triumph coming at the Malaysian Open in May last year.