KUALA LUMPUR: National mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin suffered a disappointing Malaysia Open debut, throwing away significant leads twice in their loss to Taiwan's Lu Ming Che-Hung En Tzu.
World No. 20 Pang Ron-Su Yin surrendered a commanding 18-12 advantage in the opening game and a 16-11 lead in the decisive third game, ultimately falling 28-26, 14-21, 24-22 to their world No. 51 opponents at Axiata Arena on Tuesday.
The defeat marks a significant setback for the pair, who had built considerable momentum at the end of last year.
In November, they achieved their career-best result at the China Masters (Super 750), upsetting several top-ranked pairs including China's world No. 2 Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin en route to a runner-up finish.
MORE TO COME