Odense, Denmark: Malaysia will have representation in both the mixed doubles and women’s doubles semifinals of the 2026 Denmark Open after Hoo Pang Ron/Lai Pei Jing and Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan came through their respective quarterfinals on Friday.
Hoo and Lai defeated Japan’s Akira Koga and Natsu Saito 21-15, 24-22 to continue their impressive run at the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament, while Pearly and Thinaah recovered from losing the opening game to beat India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela 14-21, 21-17, 21-11.
Both Malaysian pairs now face Chinese opposition for places in the finals.
Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing Reach Denmark Open Semifinals
Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing secured their place in the mixed doubles last four with a straight-game victory over Akira Koga and Natsu Saito.
The Malaysians took the opening game 21-15 before facing a much tighter battle in the second. Koga and Saito pushed the game beyond 21 points, but Hoo and Lai eventually closed it out 24-22 to complete the victory.
The result sets up a semifinal against China’s top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping.
Feng and Huang progressed with a 21-15, 21-14 victory over Chinese Taipei’s seventh seeds Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan.
Hoo and Lai will therefore need to overcome the tournament’s No. 1 seeds if they are to reach the Denmark Open final.
Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan Fight Back to Beat Treesa-Gayatri
Watch highlights of Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan vs. Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand Pullela in the 2026 Denmark Open quarterfinals:
Source: BWF
Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan had to take a more difficult route into the women’s doubles semifinals.
India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela claimed the first game 21-14, putting the Malaysian second seeds under immediate pressure.
Pearly and Thinaah responded by taking the second game 21-17 to force a decider. The Malaysians then pulled clear in the third and completed the comeback 21-11.
They will next face China’s sixth seeds Bao Li Jing and Cao Zi Han.
Bao and Cao advanced in straight games against Bulgarian sisters Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva, winning 21-12, 26-24.
An Se Young Sets Up Semifinal With Nozomi Okuhara
Watch highlights of An Se Young vs. Tanvi Sharma in the 2026 Denmark Open quarterfinals:
Source: Sogna Kana
Women’s singles top seed An Se Young continued her run in Odense with a 21-15, 21-13 victory over India’s Tanvi Sharma.
The South Korean will meet Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara in the semifinals.
Okuhara advanced after sixth seed Tomoka Miyazaki retired during their all-Japanese quarterfinal. Miyazaki won the opening game 21-17 before Okuhara took the second 21-14. Okuhara was leading 7-4 in the deciding game when the match ended following Miyazaki’s retirement.
Akane Yamaguchi to Face Wang Zhi Yi
The other women’s singles semifinal will feature Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi against China’s Wang Zhi Yi.
Third seed Yamaguchi defeated Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-14, 22-20, surviving a much closer second game to close the match in straight games.
Second seed Wang advanced with a 21-17, 21-16 victory over Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani.
The semifinal lineup therefore features four established international names: An Se Young against Nozomi Okuhara and Akane Yamaguchi against Wang Zhi Yi.
China Secure One Mixed Doubles Finalist
China is already guaranteed a place in the mixed doubles final from the lower half of the draw.
Eighth seeds Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi defeated Denmark’s third seeds Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje 21-18, 21-19 to advance.
They will face second seeds Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin, who advanced by walkover against fellow Chinese pair Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui.
In the upper half, Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing will attempt to prevent an all-Chinese final when they take on Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping.
All-Japanese Women’s Doubles Semifinal Set
Japan will have one guaranteed finalist in women’s doubles after two Japanese pairs advanced from the upper half of the draw.
Hinata Suzuki and Nao Yamakita survived a three-game quarterfinal against Americans Lauren Lam and Allison Quynh Lee, winning 21-17, 19-21, 21-19.
They will meet seventh seeds Sumire Nakade and Miyu Takahashi, who defeated Sayaka Hirota and Ayako Sakuramoto 21-14, 21-10.
The other semifinal will see Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan challenge Bao Li Jing and Cao Zi Han for the remaining place in the women’s doubles final.
2026 Denmark Open Semifinal Matchups
Women’s Singles
An Se Young (South Korea) vs Nozomi Okuhara (Japan)
Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) vs Wang Zhi Yi (China)
Women’s Doubles
Hinata Suzuki/Nao Yamakita (Japan) vs Sumire Nakade/Miyu Takahashi (Japan)
Bao Li Jing/Cao Zi Han (China) vs Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan (Malaysia)
Mixed Doubles
Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (China) vs Hoo Pang Ron/Lai Pei Jing (Malaysia)
Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi (China) vs Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin (China)
Complete Tournament Results
Women’s Singles – Quarterfinals
An Se Young (South Korea) defeated Tanvi Sharma (India), 21-15, 21-13.
Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) defeated Tomoka Miyazaki (Japan), 17-21, 21-14, 7-4, retired.
Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) defeated Pornpawee Chochuwong (Thailand), 21-14, 22-20.
Wang Zhi Yi (China) defeated Putri Kusuma Wardani (Indonesia), 21-17, 21-16.
Women’s Doubles – Quarterfinals
Hinata Suzuki/Nao Yamakita (Japan) defeated Lauren Lam/Allison Quynh Lee (United States), 21-17, 19-21, 21-19.
Sumire Nakade/Miyu Takahashi (Japan) defeated Sayaka Hirota/Ayako Sakuramoto (Japan), 21-14, 21-10.
Bao Li Jing/Cao Zi Han (China) defeated Gabriela Stoeva/Stefani Stoeva (Bulgaria), 21-12, 26-24.
Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan (Malaysia) defeated Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand Pullela (India), 14-21, 21-17, 21-11.
Mixed Doubles – Quarterfinals
Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (China) defeated Ye Hong Wei/Nicole Gonzales Chan (Chinese Taipei), 21-15, 21-14.
Hoo Pang Ron/Lai Pei Jing (Malaysia) defeated Akira Koga/Natsu Saito (Japan), 21-15, 24-22.
Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi (China) defeated Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Bøje (Denmark), 21-18, 21-19.
Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin (China) advanced over Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui (China) by walkover.
