Japan Open: Men's Doubles Sizzle, Women's Doubles Crumble
The world number one Malaysians powered their way to a 21-13, 21-15 first-round win over Canada's Kevin Lee-Ty Alexander Lindeman in their first-ever meeting.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin will next be up against either home pair Hiroki Midorikawa-Kyohei Yamashita or Taiwan's Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang Chi-Lin.
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New Straits Times
12 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Sze Fei-Izzuddin set for BAM return?
KUALA LUMPUR: Are men's doubles Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani on their way back to the BA of Malaysia (BAM) just 10 months after turning professional? The pair, who will lose their world No. 1 ranking when the new BWF list is released on Tuesday, appear to be rethinking their path after a worrying dip in form. According to reliable sources, they approached BAM recently to explore the possibility of a return. The major draw? Indonesian coach Herry IP — the man behind the resurgence of world No. 2 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, who have won four titles between them this year since his arrival at BAM in February. Sze Fei-Izzuddin quit BAM in September last year — just a week after winning the Japan Open. They went on to claim the China Open, Arctic Open, and India Open in January, shooting up to world No. 1 eight weeks ago. But they haven't won a title since their India Open triumph, and their reign at the top ends this week after they failed to defend their Japan Open crown, losing to South Korea's world No. 3 Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae on Sunday. The Koreans will officially take over the top spot on Tuesday, with Sze Fei-Izzuddin expected to drop two places in the rankings. Former national shuttler Datuk James Selvaraj believes a return to BAM would be a step in the right direction. "Sze Fei-Izzuddin will definitely gain a lot by rejoining BAM. Herry's coaching has been a game-changer for our national pairs," said James. "Herry and doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky are focusing on power and speed — a system that would suit Sze Fei-Izzuddin and help reverse their recent decline. "Their return could also raise the level of our other men's doubles pairs and strengthen Malaysia's depth on the world stage." Sze Fei-Izzuddin had previously praised Herry's training methods during a short centralised training stint at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara ahead of the Sudirman Cup in May — a stint that may have rekindled their interest in rejoining the national fold. "Physical endurance, or the lack of it, seems to be a key reason behind their struggles. That's something BAM can help with," added James. "In today's game, support services are crucial — strength training, recovery, physio and mental coaching. "As independents, they've had to manage everything on their own. "With BAM, all of that is under one roof. But if they do return, they must commit fully." Top seeds Sze Fei-Izzuddin will now turn their attention to defending their China Open title. They face a tricky first-round clash against South Korea's world No. 49 Kang Min Hyuk-Ki Dong Ju on Wednesday.
The Sun
12 minutes ago
- The Sun
Pearly-Thinaah failed to hit the heights in Japan Open final
KUALA LUMPUR: National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky has identified the reasons for women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah's below-par performance en route to losing in the final of the 2025 Japan Open in Tokyo on Sunday. Pearly-Thinaah stumbled in their bid to become the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to land the Japan Open title when they went down 21-15, 21-14 to world number one and defending champions Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning of China at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. And from Rexy's observations, it was a combination of the Malaysian pair failing to hit the heights and the Chinese pair getting their tactics spot-on. Rexy said the way Pearly-Thinaah played in the final was the complete opposite of how they performed against Japan's Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida in the semi-finals on Saturday. The Malaysians defeated Matsuyama-Shida 21-13, 21-11 with a near-perfect game to break their hoodoo against the home favourites, who had previously beaten them in 13 out of 14 encounters. It was, however, a different case altogether in the final against the Chinese hotshots, said Rexy. The Indonesian doubles expert said Sheng Shu-Tan Ning did not rush to score their points, built their momentum patiently and stuck to their well-structured game plan before striking at the right moments to put pressure on the Malaysians. 'They dragged Pearly and Thinaah away from the net and controlled the front of the net, making it very uncomfortable for the Malaysian girls. 'We must give the Chinese pair credit, they played really well, especially Tan Ning,' he told Bernama when contacted today. Yesterday's result also marked Pearly-Thinaah's ninth defeat in 12 meetings against the Paris 2024 Olympic Games silver medallists. Runners-up Pearly-Thinaah pocketed USD33,250 (about RM141,000) while champions Sheng Shu-Tan Ning walked away with USD70,300 (about RM298,000). World number three Pearly-Thinaah equalled the achievement of compatriots Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui, who also finished as runners-up in the 2008 edition. Pearly-Thinaah, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champions, have had a good season so far, winning the Thailand Open title in May and finishing second at the Indonesia Masters in January. Pearly-Thinaah will now shift their focus to the China Open 2025, where the third seeds are slated to meet teammates Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting in the first round at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Changzhou.
Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
Pearly-Thinaah Failed To Hit The Heights In Japan Open Final
KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 (Bernama) -- National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky has identified the reasons for women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah's below-par performance en route to losing in the final of the 2025 Japan Open in Tokyo on Sunday. Pearly-Thinaah stumbled in their bid to become the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to land the Japan Open title when they went down 21-15, 21-14 to world number one and defending champions Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning of China at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. And from Rexy's observations, it was a combination of the Malaysian pair failing to hit the heights and the Chinese pair getting their tactics spot-on. bootstrap slideshow Rexy said the way Pearly-Thinaah played in the final was the complete opposite of how they performed against Japan's Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida in the semi-finals on Saturday. The Malaysians defeated Matsuyama-Shida 21-13, 21-11 with a near-perfect game to break their hoodoo against the home favourites, who had previously beaten them in 13 out of 14 encounters. It was, however, a different case altogether in the final against the Chinese hotshots, said Rexy. The Indonesian doubles expert said Sheng Shu-Tan Ning did not rush to score their points, built their momentum patiently and stuck to their well-structured game plan before striking at the right moments to put pressure on the Malaysians. 'They dragged Pearly and Thinaah away from the net and controlled the front of the net, making it very uncomfortable for the Malaysian girls. "We must give the Chinese pair credit, they played really well, especially Tan Ning,' he told Bernama when contacted today.
