KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — National men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik advanced to the second round of the India Open 2025 after a gruelling 56-minute battle against Thailand’s unseeded duo, Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon Teeraratsakul, earlier this morning.

In the Round of 32 match held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Chia and Soh lost the opening game 20-22 but mounted a strong comeback to claim the next two games 21-16 and 21-18 against the world’s 31st-ranked pair.

The Malaysian duo will face China’s Xie Hao Nan and Zheng Wei Han, ranked 39th, in the second round later today.

Chia and Soh previously lost to the Chinese pair during the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, secured a spectacular victory, defeating India’s Prerana Alvekar and Mrunmayee Deshpande 21-8, 21-19 in just 27 minutes.

Seeded third in the tournament, Tan and Thinaah face a formidable challenge in the Round of 16 today as they take on China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian for the first time. — Bernama