KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 19 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani may be the second-highest ranked pair after Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in the national team, but they are in danger of missing out on a spot in Malaysia's Thomas Cup squad.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin's lacklustre form seemed to have no end when they were ousted in the second round of the Swiss Open in Basel on Thursday.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin lost 17-21, 21-19, 21-15 to Thailand's Supak Jomkoh-Kittinupong Kedren, the world No. 24, prompting national coaching director Rexy Mainaky to take them to task.
Rexy claimed Sze Fei-Izzuddin Fei should not have lost the match.
"I watched the game. I thought they should not have lost," said Rexy.
"Sze Fei-Izzuddin were losing the motivation to fight back towards the end of the match. They allowed Supak-Kittinupong to race away from 15-15 with a big lead in the third game.
"That's their mistake.
"After losing in the first round of the French Open and All England, now they have exited the second round of the Swiss Open by losing to a pair they should not be losing to.
"Not too long ago, they defeated this Thai pair (during the Malaysia Open in January)."
Since reuniting after a brief split last year, Sze Fei-Izzuddin have been struggling in higher-tier tournaments.
However, they have done well in lower-tier events, winning the US Open Super 300, Abu Dhabi Masters Super 100, and Kaoshiung Masters Super 100.
With another early exit in Basel, Sze Fei-Izzuddin have now failed to do better than the last 16 in eight World Tour tournaments since November last year.
While Sze Fei-Izzuddin are struggling, Choong Hon Jian-Haikal Nazri continue with their meteoric rise and will look to pounce on every opportunity to get a Thomas Cup call-up.
After winning last week's Orleans Masters, Hon Jian-Haikal have made it to the quarter-finals of the Swiss Open.
They have risen to world No. 32, and this week's remarkable run is set to see them break the top 30 by next week.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin were in Malaysia's Thomas Cup squads that reached the quarter-finals of the 2020 and 2022 editions.
But their hopes of securing a third successive outing are now in major doubt.