Kuala Lumpur: Professional mixed doubles shuttler Shevon Lai Jemie is set to make an appearance at the Malaysia Masters 2025 sporting a dramatic new hairstyle.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Shevon decided to cut her long hair just yesterday, in preparation for the Super 500 tournament at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, which runs from tomorrow until May 25. Shevon shared her spontaneous decision with the press, explaining, “When I went to the saloon yesterday, suddenly I had this thought that I wanted to change to something new.” She expressed hope that the change might bring some new luck as she competes.

Shevon, aged 31, acknowledged the challenging task of defending their Malaysia Masters title, noting the competition from top-ranked pairs, including world number one Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin and world number two Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping of China.

Last year’s triumph saw Shevon and her husband, Goh Soon Huat, becoming the first Malaysians in six years to win a World Tour event on home soil, defeating Indonesia’s Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas Mentari 21-18, 21-19.

Looking ahead to their first-round match, Shevon emphasized the need for caution against Denmark’s Mads Vestergaard-Christine Busch, describing them as a young and unpredictable pair. She noted, “We need to be really prepared and careful because younger pairs will give their everything and have nothing to lose.”

Despite recent results not being outstanding, Shevon reported that they have consistently cleared the early rounds. She added that their focus is on stabilizing performance and gradually returning to peak form. This year, in six individual tournaments, Soon Huat-Shevon reached the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open and India Open and the quarter-finals in four other tournaments.