KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — Four Malaysian men’s doubles pairs overcame Australian challengers to charge into the second round of the Australia Open badminton championships in Sydney Olympic Park today.

Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri downed Jordan Yang-Frederick Zhao 21-9, 21-11; Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai defeated Brendan Wang-Jordan Wang 21-10, 21-9; Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub Azriyn-Tan Wee Kiong overcame Timotius Elbert-Huaidong Tang 21-11, 21-16; and Wan Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King beat Hin Lam Chin-Zi Qing Fu 21-8, 21-7.

In the second round of the Super 500 tournament, two of Malaysia’s combinations will face Australian pairs again, with Khai Xing-Aaron taking on Kanki Igawa-Ken Richardson and Nur Mohd Azriyn-Wee Kiong squaring off with Rizky Hidayat-Frengky Wijaya Putra.

Wan Arif-Roy King will take on the Australia-England combination of Ooi Yi Hern-Steven Stallwood while Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal will be up against either Australians Aneesh Nirmal-Emmanuel Stephen Sam or India’s Rajain Abhimanyu-Aman Nandal. — Bernama