KUALA LUMPUR – As the BWF World Tour shifts to Europe, Malaysia’s top badminton pairs are gearing up for a pivotal campaign at the 2025 Arctic Open Super 500, held in Vantaa, Finland from October 7–12. With a prize pool of USD 475,000, this tournament offers a golden opportunity for redemption—and Malaysia’s national doubles coach Herry Iman Pierngadi believes his top men’s pair is ready.
Coach Herry Expects Big Things from Chia/Soh
Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, ranked World No. 2, are looking to regain their form after a series of lackluster results. Coach Herry expressed optimism about their progress in training:
“Their preparation over the past week has been very encouraging. I’m hopeful we’ll see a strong showing from them in Finland.”
With Korea’s Seo Seung Jae/Kim Wan Ho and India’s Chirag Shetty/Satwik Rankireddy skipping this event, the Malaysian duo have a clearer path toward the title. However, they could face a major test in the semifinals against China’s Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang, a pair that leads their head-to-head 8-3—though Chia/Soh won their last meeting at the 2024 Asian Championships.
Their campaign begins against Daniel Lundgaard/Mads Vestergaard (Denmark), with a potential second-round all-Malaysian clash against Low Hang Yee/Ng Eng Cheong. A quarterfinal encounter with Lee Jhe-Huei/Yang Po-Hsuan (Chinese Taipei) also looms.
Other Malaysian Duos Look to Rebound
The spotlight also shines on Junaidi Arif/Yap Roy King, who are eager to break free from a recent slump following their Macau Open title. They could meet fellow Malaysians Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin—the World No. 3 and defending champions—in a second-round showdown.
In another all-Malaysian battle, Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun and Choong Hon Jian/Muhammad Haikal will clash in the first round.
Pearly/Thinaah Ready for European Run
Malaysia’s top women’s pair, Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan, seeded No. 2, are set to take on Austria’s Serena Au Yeong/Anna Hagspiel in the opening round. They may eventually face their longtime rivals, World No. 1 Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning (China), in the finals—potentially the 14th meeting between the pairs. The Chinese lead the rivalry 10-3, with Pearly/Thinaah’s last win coming at the 2024 Hong Kong Open.
Thinaah remains grounded despite their European success:
“We’ve had good runs in Europe before, but we’re focused on the present. Every match will be a new challenge, and we’re ready to give it our best,” she told New Straits Times.
A New Chapter Begins
The Arctic Open marks the first of four consecutive European legs in October. With top contenders absent and strong national representation, Malaysian badminton fans have plenty to look forward to as their top doubles teams chase glory and momentum heading into the Denmark and French Opens.
Stay tuned for more badminton news and updates from Finland.
