Justin Hoh continued his impressive run at the SATHIO GROUP Australian Badminton Open 2026, emerging as Malaysia’s biggest success story on Thursday after securing a straight-games victory to reach the men’s singles quarter-finals at the Quaycentre, Sydney.
The Malaysian youngster was one of only two Malaysian representatives to advance from the Round of 16, alongside women’s doubles pair Low Zi Yu and Aqilah Maisarah, as the national contingent experienced a challenging day in the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament.
Carrying Malaysia’s hopes in the men’s singles draw, Justin produced another composed display to defeat Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen 21-17, 21-19.
The victory was far from straightforward, with Nguyen applying pressure throughout both games. However, Justin remained calm during the crucial moments, displaying maturity beyond his years to close out the match in straight sets.
Having already overcome India’s Kiran George in the opening round, Justin’s latest triumph sees him progress to the last eight and strengthens his growing reputation as one of Malaysia’s most promising men’s singles players.
His quarter-final appearance also ensures Malaysia remains represented in the men’s singles competition heading into the business end of the tournament.
Women’s doubles pair Low Zi Yu and Aqilah Maisarah continued their impressive campaign by booking a place in the quarter-finals.
Fresh from their giant-killing victory over a seeded Taiwanese pair during qualification, the Malaysians produced another assured performance to defeat Australia’s Jazmine Lam and Lim Yee-Yuan 21-9, 21-18.
The pair controlled much of the contest with aggressive attacking play and excellent court coverage, extending what has become one of the most encouraging Malaysian stories of the tournament.
Malaysia’s mixed doubles hopes were extinguished after all three remaining pairs exited the competition.
Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing were unable to find answers against Hong Kong’s Chan Yin Chak and Ng Tsz Yau, falling 12-21, 8-21.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Wong and Cheng Su Yin pushed third seeds Ruttanapak Oupthong and Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat all the way before narrowly losing 15-21, 21-15, 20-22 in one of the closest matches of the day.
The Malaysian pair came within two points of a major upset but ultimately fell just short in a thrilling decider.
Top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China also proved too strong for Loo Bing Kun and Aqilah Maisarah, claiming a 21-9, 21-8 victory.
Malaysia’s men’s doubles representatives Chia Wei Jie and Teo Ee Yi suffered a narrow defeat despite making a strong start against Taiwan’s Chen Cheng Kuan and Liu Kuang Heng.
After taking the opening game 21-13, the Malaysians were unable to maintain their momentum as their opponents fought back to win 18-21, 21-18, 21-17.
The defeat denied Malaysia another quarter-final berth in the doubles competition.
Women’s singles shuttler Wong Ling Ching saw her campaign come to an end against tournament eighth seed Huang Yu-Hsun.
Despite a spirited effort, Wong was defeated 18-21, 19-21 after a competitive battle that showcased her ability to challenge higher-ranked opposition.
Credit Photo : BERNAMA
