The opening day of the Petronas Malaysia Open 2025 saw Malaysian shuttlers Leong Jun Hao and mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin bowing out after intense three-game battles in the first round at the Axiata Arena today.
Making their debut in the tournament, Jun Hao and Pang Ron-Su Yin’s performances underlined the grit and determination of Malaysia’s up-and-coming talents.
Up against his higher-ranked opponent Lu Guang Zu of China, Jun Hao, ranked 29th in the world, put on a spirited display in front of the home fans, pushing his opponent to the limit before succumbing to 17-21, 21-16, 13-21 loss in an 80-minute duel.
Jun Hao clawed back strongly after losing the first game, displaying explosive smashes and deft net play to claim the second game. The 26-year-old kept pace early in the decider but found himself trailing as Lu stepped up his game in the decider.
Despite the loss, Jun Hao remained optimistic. “I’m disappointed with the outcome…I made mistakes in the first game,” Leong admitted. “This is my first meeting against Guang Zu, so I didn’t know his style. The third game was tough, and I couldn’t keep up. I’ve given my all, and hopefully, this will set me on to better results in upcoming tournaments this year.”
Jun Hao’s defeat marked an early end to Malaysia’s men’s singles campaign after Lee Zii Jia’s withdrawal due to injury, leaving local fans to hope for stronger showings in the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles categories.
In the mixed doubles, world No. 20 pair Pang Ron-Su Yin, also playing in their maiden Malaysia Open, fought valiantly in their debut match, only to narrowly lose to Chinese Taipei’s world No. 51 duo Lu Ming Che and Hung En Tzu. The match was a rollercoaster, with the Chinese Taipei pair taking the opening game 28-26 after a dramatic exchange of game points.
Pang Ron-Su Yin regrouped in the second game to win 21-14 but the Chinese Taipei duo put up a strong show in the decider, edging the Malaysians 24-22 after 66 minutes.
“We lost our focus and let them back in after holding the lead,” said Pang Ron after the match. “But we gave everything we had and credit to our opponents, they played well. We’ll take this experience forward as we prepare for the India Open next week.”
