Kuala Lumpur, May 19: In a stunning upset at the Malaysia Masters, Indian men’s doubles pair Haritharan Amaskaran and M.R. Arjun triumphed over the seventh-seeded Kristof Popov and Toma Junior Popov in straight games.
Facing the European Championship silver medalists, the Indian duo was considered the underdogs. However, they showcased remarkable composure, winning 21-19, 21-15 to advance to the second round.
After a tightly contested first game, Haritharan and Arjun seized control, maintaining their momentum into the second game. Their confident rallies led them to a swift victory.
This win marks another encouraging milestone for the Indian pair, who have steadily built their momentum on the international circuit over the past year. They clinched the title at the Telangana India International Challenge last November and also secured trophies at the Turkey International Challenge and Al Ain Masters earlier this season.
Currently ranked World No. 31, the duo has a chance to break into the top 30 if they continue their strong performance in Kuala Lumpur.
In the next round, Haritharan and Arjun will face either Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin or China’s Hu Keyuan and Lin Jiangyi. Earlier this year, they faced Carnando and Bagas Maulana in the quarter-finals of the Orleans Masters, resulting in a loss.
In other matches, India experienced mixed results on the tournament’s opening day. The mixed doubles pair of Satwik Kanaparam and Radhika Sharma advanced past the qualifying round by defeating Malaysia’s Dato’ Ashra and Clarissa San.
In women’s singles qualifying, Ashmita Chaliha defeated Taiwan’s Pai Yu Po to move forward, while Akshaya Kashyap was eliminated by South Korea’s Park Ga Yun. The women’s doubles team of Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam also faced disappointment, losing in the first round to Canada’s Jackie Dant and Crystal Lai.
Meanwhile, India’s top men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, opted out of the Malaysia Masters for workload management after finishing as runners-up at the Thailand Open.
Leave a Comment