Chia-Soh lead Malaysian contingent into second round at Singapore Open

Malaysia's top men's doubles pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, kicked off their Singapore Open campaign with a convincing performance, advancing to the second round. The world No. 2 duo defeated France's Christo and Toma Junior Popov in straight games, with a score of 21-17, 21-15, in a match that lasted 37 minutes at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

This victory marks a positive step for Chia and Soh, who were semifinalists at the recent Malaysia Masters. They are now set to face either Japan's Kakeru Kumagai-Hiroki Nishi or England's Ben Lane-Sean Vendy in the round of 16. The win helps build momentum after their performance in the Malaysia Masters.

Joining them in the second round were women's doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, ranked world No. 2. They overcame Hu Ling Fang and Jheng Yu Chieh of Taiwan in a three-game battle, 20-22, 21-16, 21-15, in 51 minutes. This win is particularly significant for Pearly Tan, who had been sidelined due to a back injury, missing the Uber Cup and the Malaysia Masters.

In mixed doubles, Malaysia's fourth-ranked pair, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, also secured their spot in the next round by defeating compatriots Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing. The match ended 21-16, 21-19 in 40 minutes. They are scheduled to play against South Korea's Kim Jae Hyeon and Jang Ha Jeong in the second round. Notably, Kim and Jang had previously upset another Malaysian pair, Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai, who are ranked world No. 11.

Another Malaysian mixed doubles team, Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien, were eliminated from the tournament after losing to India's Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto in three games.