Malaysian men’s doubles pair Man Wei Chong–Tee Kai Wun delivered a spirited performance but ultimately fell short against South Korea’s reigning world champions Kim Won Ho–Seo Seung Jae in the quarter-finals of the PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2026 on Friday.
Roared on by a packed Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, the world No. 5 Malaysians pushed the tournament’s top seeds to dig deep before succumbing 21-17, 21-14 in a 40-minute contest that underlined both the Koreans’ pedigree and the Malaysians’ growing maturity on the big stage.
Despite the straight-games defeat, Wei Chong and Kai Wun showed flashes of their attacking intent and resilience, particularly in the opening game, as they attempted to break a frustrating trend against their Korean nemesis. The loss extended their head-to-head record against Won Ho–Seung Jae to six defeats in six meetings, highlighting the scale of the challenge posed by the world’s best pairing.
As quarter-finalists in the World Tour Super 1000 tournament, the Malaysians will still walk away with US$9,062 (RM36,892), adding valuable experience and confidence to their season campaign.
The result marked the second major disappointment for home fans on the day, following the earlier exit of world mixed doubles champions Chen Tang Jie–Toh Ee Wei, who were also eliminated at the quarter-final stage.
Credit Photo : BAM
