Kumamoto, Japan — Malaysia’s opening day at the 2025 Kumamoto Masters (Super 500) produced mixed fortunes as two of the country’s mixed doubles pairs advanced, while two others fell in the first round.
The returning duo Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin, who recently reunited after Cheng’s injury layoff, battled for 54 minutes to edge Wu Hsuan-Yi and Yang Chu Yun of Chinese Taipei 21-18, 18-21, 21-19, clinching a well-deserved spot in the second round.
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Currently ranked world No. 20, Hoo and Cheng had not competed on the BWF World Tour since the Korea Open in September, pulling out of their European events due to Cheng’s calf injury. Their return to form in Kumamoto marks a promising restart to their partnership.
In the round of 16, they will face Thailand’s top-seeded pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran, who advanced comfortably after beating Japan’s Haruki Kawabe and Kokona Ishikawa 21-17, 21-10.
Malaysia Splits the Day: Two Wins, Two Losses
Malaysia’s independent pair Jimmy Wong and Lai Pei Jing, runners-up at last week’s Korea Masters, continued their excellent form, defeating Lu Ming Che and Hung En Tzu of Taiwan 21-19, 21-15. They will next face another Taiwanese duo, seventh seeds Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan, for a place in the quarterfinals.
However, the day wasn’t all smooth sailing.
Fourth seeds Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai suffered a surprise loss to Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami and Sayaka Hobara, falling 17-21, 13-21 in straight games. Despite the early exit, the experienced pair — along with the absent Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei — have already secured their spots for the BWF World Tour Finals 2025 in Hangzhou, China.
Meanwhile, Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien went down 15-21, 16-21 to Liu Kuang Heng and Jheng Yu Chieh of Chinese Taipei, missing out on a round-of-16 appearance.
Leong Jun Hao’s Struggles Continue
In men’s singles, Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao endured another tough outing, losing in a marathon 68-minute battle to India’s H.S. Prannoy. Despite taking the opening game 21-16, the world No. 22 fell 21-13, 23-21 in the next two, marking his fifth consecutive first-round exit on the BWF Tour.
Leong had entered the tournament with fond memories, having reached the 2024 Kumamoto Masters final — the biggest achievement of his career — before losing to China’s Li Shifeng. But this year’s campaign ended in disappointment as Prannoy’s late surge denied him a long-awaited comeback victory.
The two players were meeting for the third time, with one win apiece in their previous encounters. Prannoy, currently ranked world No. 35, will face Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke in the next round after Gemke defeated Lee Chia Hao of Chinese Taipei 21-18, 21-17.
Malaysia’s mixed doubles contingent will continue to carry the nation’s hopes in Kumamoto, especially with Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin showing renewed determination after a difficult injury spell. Their clash with Thailand’s top seeds in the next round promises to be one of the highlights of the 2025 Kumamoto Masters — a crucial stop on the road to the BWF World Tour Finals.
