The Malaysia Open Super 1000 tournament is underway, showcasing the world’s greatest badminton stars, including a strong contingent of Europe’s top players.
After the first matches of the opening day, we’ve already seen several positive surprises from European players.
Ben Lane/Sean Vendy
Despite a tough draw on paper, Ben Lane and Sean Vendy triumphed over the 6th-seeded Chinese pair He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu with a scoreline of 23-21, 19-21, 21-11. It was an impressive victory for the English duo in their first match since winning the Hylo Open in early November. In the next round, the English pair might face the Danish duo Rasmus Kjær and Frederik Søgaard, depending on the outcome of their match later today.
Mia Blichfeldt
Mia Blichfeldt also delivered an excellent performance, securing her first victory against 18-year-old Tomoka Miyazaki, who is seeded 6th in the tournament. Blichfeldt won the match 15-21, 21-14, 21-16. In the second round, she will face American Beiwen Zhang, with Blichfeldt leading their head-to-head record 2-1.
Other European victories include Callum Hemming and Estelle Van Leeuwen, who defeated the Ukrainian pair Oleksii Titov and Yevheniia Kantemyr 15-21, 21-11, 21-6. This marks the first time the English duo has advanced to the second round of a Super 1000 tournament.
French brothers Christo and Toma Popov have also progressed to the second round, as have Scotland’s mixed doubles pair Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson.
Later today, Viktor Axelsen will also take to the court, facing Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu.
Stay tuned to Badminton Europe’s social media channels for photos and reactions from the tournament.