Malaysia’s top pairs secure second-round spots at the China Open 2026 in Jiangsu with contrasting victories.
NATIONAL’S top women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah cruised into the second round of the China Open 2026 in Jiangsu after a comfortable opening round victory today.
Playing at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, the fifth seeds needed just 32 minutes to dispatch Japan’s Ririna Hiramoto-Kokona Ishikawa 21-16, 21-12.
Pearly-Thinaah could face another Japanese pair in the second round should Rui Hirokami-Sayaka Hobara overcome Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova-Yevheniia Kantemyr.
Also advancing were professional mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, who came through a hard-fought three-set battle against Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa-Misaki Matsutomo 21-15, 16-21, 21-19.
The husband-and-wife duo will next take on fifth seeds Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui after the Chinese pair defeated India’s Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto 21-18, 21-18.
However, there was disappointment for national women’s singles player Wong Ling Ching, who failed to capitalise on a first-set win as she went down to South Korea’s Sim Yu Jin 21-17, 16-21, 17-21.