Malaysia Masters 2026: Arjun, Hariharan avenge Thomas Cup loss to Popov brothers

Indian men’s doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun produced one of the standout results at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 as they advanced to the second round with an impressive straight-sets win over France’s Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov on Tuesday (May 19).

Hariharan and Arjun beat the seventh-seeded French pair 21-19, 21-15 in a commanding performance that also carried an element of revenge after India’s painful loss to France in the Thomas Cup semi-finals earlier this month. The Popov brothers were central to France’s historic Thomas Cup run, helping their nation become only the second European team after Denmark to reach the final of the prestigious team competition.

He outclassed the French team in the semi-finals of the Thomas Cup the Indian side is missing Lakshya Sen and seals a 3-0 draw. Christo and Toma Junior Popov won their singles matches, leaving India’s doubles duo – Satwiksaraj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty and Hariharan Amsakarunan-M R Arjun – with no chance to influence the outcome of the competition. France eventually finished in second place after losing to eventual champions China in the final.

The Malaysia Masters win therefore marked an important response from the Indian pair, who looked sharp and aggressive throughout the match against the experienced French duo. Hariharan and Arjun held their nerve in a thrilling opening match before taking complete control in the second to seal a straight sets win.

The Indian pair will now face either Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin or China’s Hu Ke Yuan and Lin Xiang Yi in the second round.

India also had reason to celebrate in the women’s singles, where Ashmita Chaliha fought her way into the main draw after a crushing three-game victory over Pai Yu-po of Chinese Taipei in the qualifying round.

The 26-year-old Chaliha bounced back after losing the opening match to record a 21-23, 21-16, 21-16 win in a match that lasted 56 minutes. She showed resilience and poise in the decider to complete the comeback and secure a place in the main draw. Chaliha will face Indonesian world No. 56 Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan in the opening round. Ashmita Chaliha enters the BWF Malaysia Masters 2026 main draw (Photo X/ @BadmintonMedia1)

India’s mixed doubles team of Sathwick Reddy Kanapuram and Radhika Sharma also advanced to the next round after defeating Datu Asrah and Clarissa San in straight sets, 21-16, 21-17. The Indian pair looked comfortable for most part of the match and managed the match without much trouble.

However, the day also produced some disappointing results for the Indian contingent. Aakarshi Kashyap exited the women’s singles qualifying rounds after suffering a 21-15, 20-22, 7-21 defeat against Korea’s Park Ga Eun. Kashyap appeared on his way to victory after the first game, but the Korean player fought back strongly to win the next two games convincingly.

In the women’s doubles, Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam were also eliminated after losing a hard-fought three-match encounter against Canadians Jackie Dent and Crystal Lai. The Indian duo lost 16-21, 21-17, 17-21 in a tight match.

– The end

Published on:

19 May 2026 17:10 IST