JAKARTA: Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair Man Wei Chong–Tee Kai Wun made a confident start to their title defence at the Indonesia Masters, cruising into the second round with a commanding straight-games victory at Istora Senayan.
The world number six pairing required just 23 minutes to dispatch Taiwan’s Chang Ko Chi–Po Li Wei, ranked 44th in the world, winning 21-13, 21-6 in their opening-round encounter.
Wei Chong and Kai Wun were in complete control throughout the match, dictating tempo from the outset and giving their opponents little opportunity to settle as they sealed a convincing win.
The result also marked their second consecutive victory over the Taiwanese duo, having previously beaten the same opponents at the 2022 Taipei Open.
Watch highlights from the first-round match below:
The Malaysian pair famously lifted their first Super 500 title at Istora Senayan last year, defeating home favourites Fajar Alfian–Muhammad Rian Ardianto in the final, and will be eager to repeat that success.
In the second round, Wei Chong–Kai Wun are set to face India’s Hariharan Amsakarunan–M R Arjun on Thursday, with a quarter-final spot at stake.
In women’s doubles, national top pair Pearly Tan–Thinaah Muralitharan also progressed to the second round, though not without a stern test.
The world number two duo, competing in their third consecutive tournament of the season, were pushed hard by American pair Francesca Corbett–Jennie Gai before prevailing 21-15, 20-22, 21-19 in a 49-minute battle.
Pearly and Thinaah entered the tournament as runners-up from last year’s edition and will next face Taiwan’s Lin Xiao Min–Wang Yu Qiao for a place in the quarter-finals.
Malaysia also enjoyed success in other men’s doubles matches, with Goh Sze Fei–Nur Izzuddin Rumsani advancing after a 21-15, 21-17 win over Americans Chen Zhi Yi–Presley Smith.
Another Malaysian pair, Nur Azriyn Ayub–Tan Wee Kiong, booked their second-round spot by defeating Taiwan’s Lee Fang Chih–Lee Fang Jen 21-13, 21-18.
However, top seeds Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik suffered an early exit, falling in three games to Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard–Mads Vestergaard 22-20, 19-21, 16-21. The defeat came despite the Malaysians’ strong start to the season across multiple tournaments.
Two other Malaysian men’s doubles pairs were also eliminated in the opening round. Ong Yew Sin–Teo Ee Yi lost to Taiwan’s Lee Jhe Huei–Yang Po Hsuan, while Chia Wei Jie–Lwi Sheng Hao were beaten by Indonesia’s Sabar Karyaman Gutama–Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani.
As the tournament progresses, Malaysian shuttlers will be looking to build momentum at Istora Senayan, a venue renowned for its electric atmosphere and challenging conditions.
