KUALA LUMPUR — National men’s doubles pair Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and professional mixed doubles duo Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing made winning starts at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2026 by checking into the second round today.

In the opening round of the Super 500 tournament at Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, eighth seeds Wei Chong-Kai Wun were made to work hard before seeing off unseeded Thai pair Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 21-18, 21-23, 21-13 in 56 minutes.

The world number nine pair will next face Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard, who denied fellow Malaysians and professional pair Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong a second-round berth with a 21-16, 16-21, 22-20 victory.

Meanwhile, Pang Ron-Pei Jing cruised into the second round after easing past Canadian duo Jonathan Bing Tsan Lai-Crystal Lai 21-14, 21-14.

However, a stern test awaits the Malaysian pair tomorrow as they take on top seeds Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin of China, who defeated India’s Hariharan Amsakarunan-Tanisha Crasto 21-17, 21-9.

Elsewhere, the campaign of eighth seeds Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie came to an end after they suffered a shock defeat to unseeded Chinese pair Zhu Yi Jun-Li Qian 19-21, 23-21, 21-23.

In the women’s singles, national top player K. Letshanaa also bowed out after going down to home shuttler Natsuki Nidaira 18-21, 21-18, 12-21.