Malaysian badminton is enjoying a welcome boost at the Orleans Masters in France, with two doubles pairs finally hitting their stride after a season of setbacks.
In women’s doubles, Carmen Ting and Ong Xin Yee ended a frustrating streak of five consecutive first-round exits with a dominant 21-7, 21-10 victory over France’s Emmy Guilbard and Anouk Nambot at the Palais des Sports. The world No. 25 pair displayed composure and precision, capitalizing on a rare opportunity to face opponents outside the top-10. Their next challenge comes against world No. 24 Lauren Lam and Allison Lee, a winnable tie that could propel them toward the quarter-finals.
On the men’s doubles side, Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing continued their strong run, defeating Russia’s Rodion Alimov and Maksim Ogloblin 21-11, 21-17 to advance to the second round. The world No. 26 pair will face Denmark’s Christian Faust Kjaer and Rasmus Kjaer, a familiar pairing they overcame last year on the way to their breakthrough title at the Syed Modi India International.
Not all Malaysian news from Orleans was positive. Men’s singles star Lee Zii Jia failed to progress beyond the qualifying rounds. After winning his opening qualifier, he fell 21-18, 21-14 to China’s Dong Tian Yao, likely affected by a short recovery window between matches. The early exit serves as a reminder of the World Tour’s intensity and the fine margins at the top level.
