Paris, France — Malaysia enjoyed a stellar start at the 2025 French Open, with Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin, Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan, and Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei all advancing to the second round in convincing fashion.
Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin Stun Denmark Open Champions
Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin produced one of the biggest upsets on Tuesday after defeating the newly crowned Denmark Open champions, Japan’s Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi, in a thrilling three-game encounter.
The Malaysians rallied from a set down to triumph 15–21, 21–19, 21–11, displaying sharp defense and well-timed counterattacks to outlast the Japanese duo in 61 minutes.
Watch Highlights of Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin vs. Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi in the 2025 French Open first round:
They will next face Lee Jhe-Huei/Yang Po-Hsuan of Taiwan in the second round.
Strong Start for Other Malaysian Pairs
Top Malaysian pair Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik and independent duo Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi also moved into the men’s doubles second round, setting up an all-Malaysian clash on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Junaidi Arif/Yap Roy King advanced to face China’s Xie Haonan/Zeng Wei Han in their second-round matchup.
Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan Battle Through Tough Opener
Malaysia’s No. 1 women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan were pushed to the limit in their first-round encounter against Taiwan’s Hsu Yin Hui/Lin Jhih Yun before prevailing 21–16, 22–24, 21–12 after 67 minutes.
The second seeds, who are also World Championship runners-up, will next take on Bao Li Jing/Zhang Shu Xian of China for a spot in the quarter-finals.
On the other hand, Malaysia’s K. Letshanaa fell short in the women’s singles opening round, losing to India’s rising star Unnati Hooda 21–11, 13–21, 16–21.
Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei Show Grit to Advance
In mixed doubles, world No. 3 pair and reigning world champions Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei overcame a shaky start to beat Taiwan’s Yang Po Hsuan/Hu Ling Fang 16–21, 21–16, 21–12 in a 47-minute contest at Glaz Arena.
It was the Malaysians’ second consecutive win over the Taiwanese duo, following their victory in the opening round of last week’s Denmark Open.
Reflecting on the match, Chen Tang Jie admitted they started slow but regained composure in time:
“Our rhythm was off in the first game, and we allowed our opponents to counter-attack too easily. We weren’t patient enough,” Chen told the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“But in the second and third games, we calmed down, played more tactically, and controlled the rallies better.”
The pair will next face another Taiwanese combination, Ye Hong Wei/Nicole Chan, in the round of 16.
Men’s Singles: Leong Jun Hao Falls to Axelsen
Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao, ranked 20th in the world, couldn’t find his rhythm against Denmark’s home favorite Viktor Axelsen, falling 16–21, 15–21 in 43 minutes. It was Axelsen’s second straight win over Leong, having also beaten him at the 2024 Singapore Open.
It was a promising day for Malaysian badminton, with multiple pairs advancing at the 2025 French Open, setting up exciting all-Malaysian matchups in the upcoming rounds.
