Tokyo: World No. 1 men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei–Nur Izzuddin Rumsani proved why they are the top seeds by cruising into the quarterfinals of the 2025 Japan Open, leading a remarkable showing by Malaysia with four men’s pairs reaching the last eight.
Watch highlights of Goh Sze Fei–Nur Izzuddin vs. Hiroki Midorikawa–Kyohei Yamashita in 2025 Japan Open second round:
Playing at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, the defending champions easily swept aside Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa–Kyohei Yamashita in straight sets, 21-19, 21-18, wrapping up the match in just 38 minutes. Their performance continues their fine form this season and boosts hopes for a second title of the year at this Super 750 event with a total prize pool of USD 950,000.
Strong Showing from Malaysian Doubles
Veteran Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the day by defeating Denmark’s top pair Kim Astrup–Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 16-21, 21-15, 21-19 in a thrilling 63-minute battle. Their discipline and court control stood out.
Also advancing were World No. 30 Ong Yew Sin–Teo Ee Yi, who held off a strong challenge from U.S. pair Chen Zhi Yi–Presley Smith with a 21-19, 14-21, 21-19 win. The Malaysian duo made headlines earlier in the tournament by eliminating compatriots and 2022 World Champions Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik.
Meanwhile, World No. 7 pair Man Wei Chong–Tee Kai Wun continued the winning streak for Malaysia by outlasting China’s Huang Di–Liu Yang in a 66-minute thriller: 19-21, 21-14, 22-20. Seeded sixth, they now face South Korea’s third-seeded Kim Won Ho–Seo Seung Jae in the quarters.
Quarterfinal Showdowns Await
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Goh Sze Fei–Nur Izzuddin will next meet either Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian–Muhammad Rian Ardianto or Denmark’s Rasmus Kjaer–Frederik Sogaard.
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Ong–Teo take on China’s World No. 6 duo Liang Wei Keng–Wang Chang.
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Azriyn–Wee Kiong will play the winner of Cheng Bo Yang–Liu Yi (CHN) vs Liu Kuang Heng–Yang Po Han (TPE).
Women’s Doubles: Pearly Tan–Thinaah March On
Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan–M. Thinaah, showed their class again by reaching the quarterfinals after a clinical 21-14, 21-16 victory over Taiwan’s Hsieh Pei Shan–Hung En Tzu. The third-ranked duo took just 36 minutes to seal the win, continuing their strong post-contract-extension momentum.
Mixed Doubles: Chen Tang Jie–Toh Ee Wei Survive, Hoo Pang Ron–Cheng Su Yin Fall
In mixed doubles, fourth seeds Chen Tang Jie–Toh Ee Wei fought back from a set down to defeat Indonesia’s Jafar Hidayatullah–Felisha Pasaribu 17-21, 21-16, 21-12. They will face home pair Yuichi Shimogami–Sayaka Hobara (World No. 24) in the next round.
Meanwhile, Hoo Pang Ron–Cheng Su Yin were outclassed by China’s formidable second seeds Jiang Zhen Bang–Wei Ya Xin, losing 9-21, 6-21 in just 29 minutes.
