Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair, Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun, created history by reaching the Malaysia Open semifinals for the first time.
The world number 14 duo defeated France’s Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov in straight sets, 21-15, 21-11, in their quarterfinal match at the Axiata Arena on Friday.
This achievement marks their best performance in a Super 1000 tournament, having been eliminated in the first round for three consecutive years (2022, 2023, and 2024).
Highlights of Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun vs. Christo Popov/Toma Junior Popov in the 2025 Malaysia Open quarter-finals:
Tee Kai Wun credited their strong partnership and trust as the key to their success.
“We’re happy we could replicate our training form during the match, which is a positive sign for us. That said, we believe there’s still room for improvement,” he said after the match.
Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun will face China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi tomorrow for a spot in the finals. On paper, the Malaysians have the upper hand, leading their head-to-head record 1-0 after defeating the Chinese pair at the Badminton Asia Championships last year.
Man Wei Chong expressed confidence heading into the semifinals:
“We’ve been playing better compared to previous tournaments. The Chinese pair is strong and fast, with a solid playing style, so we need to prepare thoroughly.”
The last time a Malaysian men’s doubles pair won the Malaysia Open title was in 2014, when Goh V Shem and Lim Khim Wah claimed the trophy.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s professional men’s doubles pair, Teo Ee Yi and Ong Yew Sin, bowed out of the Malaysia Open quarterfinals after a 24-26, 15-21 loss to India’s world number nine duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
“We had a lead up to 11 points in the second set, but they changed their strategy after that,” Teo Ee Yi explained.
“They controlled the net and had powerful smashes that made it difficult for us to respond. Overall, they played better than we did.”
Despite the loss, Ee Yi expressed pride in their performance, especially after a challenging season last year. Out of 13 tournaments, the pair exited in the first round seven times. Their best result last season was reaching the semifinals of the China Open in September.
“I’m proud of what we achieved here, especially since last year wasn’t great for us. Reaching the quarterfinals and staying consistent through the rounds was a big step forward,” Teo Ee Yi said.
