BASEL – The 2026 Swiss Open produced mixed fortunes for several top players as Malaysia’s Justin Hoh battled through a tough opening match while compatriot Lee Zii Jia suffered an early exit in the BWF World Tour tournament.
In the latest badminton news from Basel, Hoh delivered a resilient performance to defeat France’s Arnaud Merkle 20-22, 21-16, 21-17 in the men’s singles first round, securing his place in the second round of the Swiss Open badminton tournament.
Justin Hoh Fights Back to Secure Victory
The Malaysian youngster had to work hard for his win after narrowly dropping the opening game 20-22. Despite the setback, Hoh stayed composed and gradually found his rhythm in the rallies.
He responded strongly in the second game, applying more pressure from the backcourt and controlling the tempo to level the match with a 21-16 victory.
The deciding game remained competitive, but Hoh maintained his focus and eventually closed out the match 21-17 to advance.
He will now face India’s Tharun Mannepalli in the second round as he looks to continue his run in Basel.
Lee Zii Jia Eliminated in First Round
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s professional men’s singles star Lee Zii Jia was unable to progress beyond the first round after falling to Singapore’s Jason Teh Jia Heng.
Lee, who had earlier advanced through the qualifying rounds, was defeated 21-12, 21-14 in straight games.
Jason Teh will now move on to face Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan in the next round.
Loh Kean Yew Also Falls Early
Former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore was another high-profile casualty in the opening round.
The Singaporean shuttler was beaten by India’s Kiran George in a tight contest, losing 23-21, 21-19.
Malaysian Pairs Shine in Men’s Doubles
Malaysia enjoyed positive results in the men’s doubles event as Kang Khai Xing/Aaron Tai delivered a strong performance to defeat Indonesia’s Muhammad Rian Ardianto/Rahmat Hidayat 21-16, 29-27.
The Malaysian duo will next face another Indonesian pair, Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas Maulana, in the second round.
Another Malaysian independent pairing, Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub/Tan Wee Kiong, also progressed after defeating the United States combination Chen Zhi Yi/Presley Smith 21-15, 21-14.
They will now meet Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun/Pakkapon Teeraratsakul in the round of 16.
Jimmy Wong/Lai Pei Jing Advance in Mixed Doubles
Malaysia also saw success in mixed doubles as independent pair Jimmy Wong/Lai Pei Jing secured a place in the last 16.
The world No.23 pair defeated Denmark’s Rasmus Espersen/Amalie Cecilie Kudsk 21-18, 22-20 in a match that lasted 38 minutes.
Wong and Lai will now face Indonesia’s third seeds Jafar Hidayatullah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu in the next round.
With several Malaysian players still in contention, fans will continue to watch closely as the Swiss Open badminton tournament progresses in Basel.
