Paris, France, October 23: Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan moved within one victory of another BWF World Tour final after defeating Bulgaria’s Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva 21-12, 21-15 in the women’s doubles quarterfinals of the 2026 French Open on Friday.
The second-seeded Malaysians, who captured the Denmark Open title just five days earlier, continued their winning run at the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament and will face Japan’s third seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi in Saturday’s semifinals.
Malaysia also celebrated success in mixed doubles as Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing survived a three-game contest against Germany’s Marvin Seidel and Thuc Phuong Nguyen, winning 21-17, 20-22, 21-18.
In women’s singles, South Korea’s world No. 1 An Se Young defeated China’s Han Yue in straight games, while India’s P. V. Sindhu and Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara and Hina Akechi also progressed to the semifinals.
The quarterfinals produced several notable results across the three disciplines, including comeback victories, closely contested deciding games and a significant upset in mixed doubles.
Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan Defeat Stoeva Sisters to Reach Semifinals
Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan continued their strong European campaign with a convincing victory over Bulgaria’s Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva.
The Malaysian second seeds took the opening game 21-12 before completing their quarterfinal victory with a 21-15 win in the second.
The result sends Pearly and Thinaah into the French Open semifinals without dropping a game against the eighth-seeded Bulgarian sisters.
The victory follows their triumph at the Denmark Open on October 18, when they defeated Japan’s Hinata Suzuki and Nao Yamakita 21-18, 21-11 to claim the women’s doubles title.
That success ended an 18-year wait for a Malaysian women’s doubles championship at the Denmark Open, making their continued progress in Paris particularly encouraging.
Pearly and Thinaah had reached the French Open quarterfinals after defeating fellow Malaysians Ong Xin Yee and Carmen Ting 21-14, 22-20 in the second round.
They will now attempt to reach consecutive World Tour finals when they face Japan’s Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi.
Watch Highlights: Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan vs. Gabriela Stoeva/Stefani Stoeva – 2026 French Open Quarterfinal
Video source: BWF
Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi Win All-Japanese Quarterfinal
Japan’s third seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi secured their semifinal place after overcoming compatriots Ririna Hiramoto and Chiharu Shida 21-18, 16-21, 21-15.
Iwanaga and Nakanishi took the opening game 21-18, but Hiramoto and Shida responded by winning the second 21-16.
The third seeds recovered in the deciding game, taking it 21-15 to complete the victory.
The result sets up a semifinal between Iwanaga/Nakanishi and Pearly/Thinaah on Saturday, October 24.
The match is scheduled for Court 1, with an estimated start time of 12:50 p.m. local time.
Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing Survive German Challenge
Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing reached the mixed doubles semifinals after defeating Germany’s Marvin Seidel and Thuc Phuong Nguyen 21-17, 20-22, 21-18.
The Malaysian combination claimed the opening game 21-17 before the German pair responded in a closely contested second game.
Seidel and Nguyen edged that game 22-20 to force a decider, but Hoo and Lai recovered to secure the third 21-18.
The victory keeps the Malaysians in contention for a place in Sunday’s final and follows another three-game win in the previous round, when they defeated Chinese Taipei’s Liu Kuang Heng and Hsu Yin-Hui 21-13, 13-21, 21-17.
Hoo and Lai had also reached the Denmark Open semifinals the previous week, giving them consecutive last-four appearances during the European tournaments.
Hoo-Lai to Face China’s Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui
Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing will next face China’s sixth seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui.
The Chinese combination recovered from losing the opening game to defeat Denmark’s third seeds Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje 12-21, 21-9, 21-9.
Christiansen and Bøje took the first game 21-12, but Guo and Chen responded with two dominant 21-9 victories to complete the comeback.
For Hoo and Lai, the semifinal presents another challenge against seeded opposition as they attempt to secure a place in the French Open final.
The match is scheduled for October 24 on Court 1, with an estimated start time of 10:20 a.m. local time.
An Se Young Defeats Han Yue to Continue Winning Run
South Korea’s An Se Young continued her impressive form with a 21-13, 21-16 victory over China’s seventh seed Han Yue in the women’s singles quarterfinals.
The top seed took the opening game by eight points before completing the straight-game victory with a 21-16 result in the second.
An arrived in Paris after winning the Denmark Open women’s singles title, where she defeated Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in a three-game final.
Her French Open campaign has continued without dropping a game through the quarterfinals, following her second-round victory over India’s Tanvi Sharma.
The Korean star will now face Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara for a place in Sunday’s final.
Watch Highlights: An Se Young vs. Han Yue – 2026 French Open Quarterfinal
Video source: BWF
Nozomi Okuhara Ends Ashmita Chaliha’s French Open Run
Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara secured her place in the women’s singles semifinals with a 21-10, 17-21, 21-16 victory over India’s Ashmita Chaliha.
Okuhara began strongly, taking the opening game 21-10, but Chaliha responded with a 21-17 victory in the second.
With the match level at one game each, Okuhara recovered to claim the deciding game 21-16.
Chaliha had entered the quarterfinals following a notable second-round victory over Japan’s third seed Akane Yamaguchi, whom she defeated 21-19, 21-18.
However, Okuhara prevented the Indian player from reaching the last four and will now face world No. 1 An Se Young.
The semifinal is scheduled for October 24 on Court 1, beginning at 9:30 a.m. local time.
P. V. Sindhu Advances With Straight-Game Victory
India’s P. V. Sindhu advanced to the French Open women’s singles semifinals after defeating Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Pin-Chian 21-13, 21-14.
The Indian star controlled the opening game 21-13 before completing the victory with a 21-14 result in the second.
Sindhu’s victory sets up a semifinal against Japan’s Hina Akechi, who eliminated Indonesia’s fifth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani.
The match offers Sindhu an opportunity to reach another World Tour final as she continues her campaign in Paris.
Hina Akechi Eliminates Fifth Seed Putri Kusuma Wardani
Japan’s Hina Akechi produced another notable women’s singles result by defeating Indonesia’s fifth seed Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-17, 21-18.
Akechi secured the opening game by four points before overcoming a closer challenge in the second.
Her straight-game victory ended Wardani’s French Open campaign and earned the Japanese player a place in the semifinals.
Akechi will face India’s P. V. Sindhu on October 24, with the match scheduled on Court 1 at an estimated 11:10 a.m. local time.
Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto Reach Women’s Doubles Semifinals
Japan’s top-seeded women’s doubles pair Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto progressed to the semifinals with a 21-17, 21-18 victory over Indonesia’s Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti.
The Japanese combination won both games to eliminate the Indonesian pair in straight games.
Fukushima and Matsumoto will next face another Indonesian combination, fifth seeds Rachel Allessya Rose and Febi Setianingrum.
Rachel Allessya Rose-Febi Setianingrum Fight Back to Reach Semifinals
Indonesia’s Rachel Allessya Rose and Febi Setianingrum secured their semifinal place with a three-game comeback against Japan’s Hinata Suzuki and Nao Yamakita.
The Japanese pair took the opening game 21-18, but Rose and Setianingrum responded by winning the second 21-16.
The Indonesians maintained their recovery in the deciding game, claiming it 21-16 to complete a 18-21, 21-16, 21-16 victory.
The result sends the fifth seeds into a semifinal against Japan’s top-seeded combination Fukushima and Matsumoto.
The match is scheduled for October 24 on Court 1, not before 4:30 p.m. local time.
Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping Survive Indonesian Challenge
China’s top-seeded mixed doubles pair Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping advanced to the semifinals after recovering from a game down against Indonesia’s Amri Syahnawi and Nita Violina Marwah.
The Indonesian pair won the opening game 21-13, but Feng and Huang responded with a 21-13 victory in the second.
The Chinese combination completed the comeback by taking the deciding game 21-13, securing a 13-21, 21-13, 21-13 victory.
Feng and Huang will next face France’s fourth seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, who also needed three games to advance.
Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue Reach Semifinals for France
France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue kept home hopes alive in mixed doubles with a 21-23, 21-12, 21-14 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Wu Guan Xun and Lee Chia Hsin.
The French fourth seeds lost a closely contested opening game 23-21 but recovered strongly in the second, winning 21-12.
Gicquel and Delrue then took the deciding game 21-14 to secure their semifinal place.
They will face China’s top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping on October 24, with the match scheduled for Court 1 at an estimated noon start.
French Open 2026 Semifinal Matchups
Women’s Doubles
Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan (Malaysia) vs. Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi (Japan) – October 24, Court 1, estimated 12:50 p.m.
Yuki Fukushima/Mayu Matsumoto (Japan) vs. Rachel Allessya Rose/Febi Setianingrum (Indonesia) – October 24, Court 1, not before 4:30 p.m.
Women’s Singles
An Se Young (South Korea) vs. Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) – October 24, Court 1, 9:30 a.m.
P. V. Sindhu (India) vs. Hina Akechi (Japan) – October 24, Court 1, estimated 11:10 a.m.
Mixed Doubles
Hoo Pang Ron/Lai Pei Jing (Malaysia) vs. Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui (China) – October 24, Court 1, estimated 10:20 a.m.
Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (China) vs. Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue (France) – October 24, Court 1, estimated noon.
All listed times are local to France and remain subject to changes in the tournament’s order of play.
Complete Tournament Results
Women’s Singles – Quarterfinals
An Se Young (South Korea) defeated Han Yue (China), 21-13, 21-16.
Nozomi Okuhara (Japan) defeated Ashmita Chaliha (India), 21-10, 17-21, 21-16.
P. V. Sindhu (India) defeated Chiu Pin-Chian (Chinese Taipei), 21-13, 21-14.
Hina Akechi (Japan) defeated Putri Kusuma Wardani (Indonesia), 21-17, 21-18.
Women’s Doubles – Quarterfinals
Yuki Fukushima/Mayu Matsumoto (Japan) defeated Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi/Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (Indonesia), 21-17, 21-18.
Rachel Allessya Rose/Febi Setianingrum (Indonesia) defeated Hinata Suzuki/Nao Yamakita (Japan), 18-21, 21-16, 21-16.
Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi (Japan) defeated Ririna Hiramoto/Chiharu Shida (Japan), 21-18, 16-21, 21-15.
Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan (Malaysia) defeated Gabriela Stoeva/Stefani Stoeva (Bulgaria), 21-12, 21-15.
Mixed Doubles – Quarterfinals
Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui (China) defeated Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Bøje (Denmark), 12-21, 21-9, 21-9.
Hoo Pang Ron/Lai Pei Jing (Malaysia) defeated Marvin Seidel/Thuc Phuong Nguyen (Germany), 21-17, 20-22, 21-18.
Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (China) defeated Amri Syahnawi/Nita Violina Marwah (Indonesia), 13-21, 21-13, 21-13.
Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue (France) defeated Wu Guan Xun/Lee Chia Hsin (Chinese Taipei), 21-23, 21-12, 21-14.
