Loo Bing Kun and Toh Ee Wei’s brief mixed doubles journey came to an end after a narrow second-round exit at the Malaysia Masters on Thursday. The pair, who had impressed by reaching the Taiwan Open quarter-finals earlier this month, fell just short of repeating that feat, losing 19-21, 22-20, 21-18 to Taiwan’s world No. 23 duo Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan — despite holding strong leads in both the second game (17-13) and the decider (13-8).The result marked the conclusion of their short partnership, as Ee Wei is set to reunite with world No. 5 Chen Tang Jie at next week’s Singapore Open. Earlier in the day, another Malaysian pair, Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien, also exited after a straight-sets loss to Thailand’s Dechapol and Supissara.For Bing Kun, competing in his biggest tournament yet was a valuable learning experience. “The atmosphere and fan support were amazing. I’ve never played at this level before,” he said. He also appreciated the opportunity to partner with Ee Wei, praising her fighting spirit and guidance.National coach Nova Widianto sees potential in Bing Kun and is considering pairing him with either Go Pei Kee or Cheng Su Hui to build a strong third national mixed doubles pair. Bing Kun expressed gratitude, saying he’s hopeful to grow stronger with a new partner.