Tag: 2025 Kumamoto Masters

Seo Seung Jae & Kim Won Ho Capture 10th Title of 2025 at Kumamoto Masters

Kumamoto, Japan — The unstoppable run of Seo Seung Jae and Kim Won Ho continued in breathtaking fashion as the Korean world No. 1 men’s doubles pair lifted the 2025 Kumamoto Masters crown, securing their 10th title of the year—nine on the BWF World Tour and one from their World Championships triumph. Continue reading Seo Seung Jae & Kim Won Ho Capture 10th Title of 2025 at Kumamoto Masters

Pearly Tan–Thinaah Muralitharan Make History with Kumamoto Masters Victory, Withdraw from Australia Open

Kumamoto, Japan — Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, delivered a landmark performance on Sunday by becoming the first Malaysian pair ever to win the Kumamoto Masters, securing their third BWF World Tour title of the 2025 season. Continue reading Pearly Tan–Thinaah Muralitharan Make History with Kumamoto Masters Victory, Withdraw from Australia Open

Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan March into Kumamoto Masters Final, One Win Away from Historic Title

Kumamoto, Japan — Malaysia’s dynamic duo Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan are on the brink of making badminton history after securing their spot in the 2025 Kumamoto Masters final with a nerve-wracking win over home favorites Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto on Saturday. Continue reading Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan March into Kumamoto Masters Final, One Win Away from Historic Title

Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Reach Kumamoto Masters Semi-Finals, Keep BWF Finals Dream Alive

Kumamoto, Japan — Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani kept their hopes of qualifying for the BWF World Tour Finals 2025 alive after booking a spot in the semi-finals of the Kumamoto Masters with a gutsy three-game victory on Friday. Continue reading Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Reach Kumamoto Masters Semi-Finals, Keep BWF Finals Dream Alive

Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Advance to Kumamoto Masters Quarterfinals After Thrilling Three-Game Win

Kumamoto, Japan — Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani kept their BWF World Tour Finals dream alive after surviving a fierce three-game battle to reach the 2025 Kumamoto Masters quarterfinals on Thursday.

The world No. 4 duo were forced to dig deep before edging past Japan’s Keiichiro Matsui and Katsuki Tamate 21–23, 21–13, 26–24 in a nerve-wracking contest at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.

Watch Highlights:

The match, which lasted just under an hour, tested the Malaysians’ composure and stamina, but their resilience in the deciding game proved crucial as they sealed the victory on their third match point.

Key Win in Race to Hangzhou

This crucial win keeps Goh and Izzuddin in contention for a place at the prestigious BWF World Tour Finals, scheduled to take place in Hangzhou, China (Dec 17–21).

Currently ranked No. 7 in the BWF World Tour standings, they are locked in a tight battle with compatriots Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun for Malaysia’s second qualifying slot behind Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who have already secured their place as world No. 2.

In the quarterfinals, Goh and Izzuddin will face Taiwan’s world No. 12 pair Lee Jhe Huei and Yang Po Hsuan, who have also shown strong form this season.

Other Malaysian Highlights

Malaysia enjoyed a strong day overall, with several national pairs making progress across multiple disciplines:

  • Wan Arif Junaidi and Yap Roy King, fresh off their Macau Open victory, delivered another convincing performance by defeating Japan’s Takumi Nomura and Yuichi Shimogami 21–11, 21–19 to secure their quarterfinal spot.

  • Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal Nazri mounted a spirited comeback after losing the opening game, eventually beating Taiwan’s Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po Han 14–21, 21–17, 21–19.

Pearly Tan and Thinaah Cruise into Quarterfinals

Malaysia’s top women’s doubles team Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah also continued their excellent run, advancing to the quarterfinals after dominating Korea’s Jeong Na Eun and Lee Yeon Woo 21–14, 21–9 in just 31 minutes.

The world No. 2 and tournament top seeds extended their perfect record against the Korean pair to 4–0, maintaining strong momentum as they chase their third BWF title of the season.

They will next face the winners between Taiwan’s Hsu Yin Hui/Lin Jhih Yun and Japan’s Nanako Hara/Riko Kiyose for a place in the semifinals.

Mixed Results in Other Events

In men’s singles, Malaysia’s Jacky Kok struggled against Japan’s experienced Kenta Nishimoto, going down 20–22, 11–21 in the round of 16.

Women’s singles also saw an early exit for Letshanaa Karupathevan, who fell to Chiu Pin-Chian of Chinese Taipei 24–22, 21–18 after a closely contested duel.

Meanwhile, in mixed doubles, both Malaysian pairs bowed out:

  • Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin were eliminated by Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran 14–21, 21–12, 21–17.

  • Jimmy Wong and Lai Pei Jing fell to Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan of Chinese Taipei 21–17, 21–14.

With Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin, Pearly Tan/Thinaah, and Wan Arif/Yap Roy King all progressing, Malaysia remains well-represented in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Kumamoto Masters. The results could prove pivotal in shaping the nation’s qualification standings ahead of the BWF World Tour Finals in December — setting the stage for another exciting weekend of world-class badminton.

Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin Advance to Kumamoto Masters Second Round

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. Continue reading Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin Advance to Kumamoto Masters Second Round

Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Advance at Kumamoto Masters, Keep BWF Finals Hopes Alive

Kumamoto, Japan — Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani made a strong start to their 2025 Kumamoto Masters campaign, powering into the second round with a straight-game win that keeps their BWF World Tour Finals hopes alive. Continue reading Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Advance at Kumamoto Masters, Keep BWF Finals Hopes Alive

Lee Zii Jia Withdraws from Kumamoto Masters, Six Malaysian Men’s Doubles Pairs Make Main Draw

Kuala Lumpur — Malaysia’s top men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has been forced to withdraw from next week’s 2025 Kumamoto Masters in Japan after failing to fully recover from a back injury.

The 26-year-old had been expected to make his comeback after a long break from competition, but tournament officials have confirmed his name on the official withdrawal list of the Super 500 event, which runs from November 11 to 16 in Kumamoto, Japan.

Back Injury Still a Concern

Lee last competed at the China Masters in September, where he was forced to retire in the opening round against Taiwan’s Lin Chun Yi due to back pain. Since then, the former All England champion has skipped several tournaments — including the Arctic Open, Denmark Open, French Open, and Hylo Open — to focus on rehabilitation.

This latest withdrawal confirms that the injury remains an obstacle in his effort to regain top form before the 2026 season.

Other Big Names Also Withdraw

Lee’s absence adds to a growing list of withdrawals that includes World No. 2 Anders Antonsen, two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, and Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie. Their absence reshuffles the competition landscape and opens opportunities for emerging players to make deeper runs in Kumamoto.

Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh to Lead Malaysia’s Singles Charge

With Lee sidelined, Malaysia’s singles campaign will be led by Leong Jun Hao (World No. 22) and Justin Hoh (World No. 36).

Leong will face India’s H.S. Prannoy in the first round, while Justin Hoh will take on a qualifier. Both players will look to capitalize on the absence of top seeds and strengthen Malaysia’s standing on the BWF World Tour.

Six Malaysian Men’s Doubles Pairs in Main Draw

Despite Lee’s withdrawal, Malaysia will have a strong presence in the men’s doubles draw with six pairs confirmed to compete.

Top national duo Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik will not participate, leaving Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun and Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin to spearhead Malaysia’s challenge.

Ranked World No. 5, Man/Tee are seeded third and will open their campaign against Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa/Kyohei Yamashita (World No. 30).
Meanwhile, Goh/Izzuddin (World No. 4), seeded second, will face Kang Min Hyuk/Ki Dong Ju (World No. 23) of Korea in the first round.

Both pairs are still in the race to qualify for the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, with Man/Tee currently third in the rankings (84,350 points) and Goh/Izzuddin seventh (72,770 points).

Other Malaysian Men’s Doubles Matches (First Round):

  • Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub/Tan Wee Kiong (MAS) vs. Lai Po Yu/Tsai Fu Cheng (TPE)

  • Choong Hon Jian/Muhammad Haikal (MAS) vs. Kazuki Shibata/Naoki Yamada (JPN)

  • Junaidi Arif/Yap Roy King (MAS) vs. Chang Ko-Chi/Po Li-Wei (TPE)

  • Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi (MAS) vs. Chen Zhi Ray/Lin Yu Chieh (TPE)

Malaysia will thus have multiple chances for success in Kumamoto, particularly in the men’s doubles category where depth and consistency continue to be the country’s strengths.

While fans eagerly await Lee Zii Jia’s return, all eyes will now turn to his compatriots in Japan, who carry the nation’s hopes for a deep run at the 2025 Kumamoto Masters.