KUCHING: Malaysia’s mixed doubles contingent enjoyed a promising start at the 2025 Japan Open Badminton Championships in Tokyo today with three national pairs booking their spots in the second round of the BWF Super 750 tournament.
Malaysia’s power couple Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie eased through their opening match by defeating Thailand’s Ruttanapak Oupthong and Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat 21-15, 21-10 in just 30 minutes.
The husband-and-wife pair will face Denmark’s Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch in the second round on Thursday (July 17).
In another encouraging result, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei secured a straight-game win over Canada’s Kevin Lee and Josephine Wu, prevailing 21-15, 21-19 in 29 minutes.
The Malaysians will next take on Jafar Hidayatullah and Felisha Pasaribu after the Indonesian pair routed China’s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui 21-12, 21-17.
The third pair to progress was Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin, who battled past the United States’ Presley Smith and Jennie Gain in a three-game encounter, winning 21-19, 12-21, 21-16.
However, they face a daunting challenge in the next round against second seeds Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin of China.
Meanwhile, independent professionals Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien fell at the first hurdle, going down 21-9, 21-8 to Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara in a one-sided affair.
The Japan Open, part of the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 750 series, runs from 15 to 20 July at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, offering a total prize pool of $950,000 (about RM4.03 million).
