Indian men’s doubles pair Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun registered an impressive win over the seventh-seeded pair in the first round of the Malaysia Masters 2026 on Tuesday.
The world No. 30 Indian duo defeated Thomas Cup finalists Christo and Toma Junior Popov of France in straight games, 21-19, 21-15.
They produced a remarkable comeback in the opening game, trailing for most of it before winning the final five consecutive points to seal the game in their favour.
Their potential second-round opponents could be last week’s champions, Indonesia’s Carnando and Marthin, who are facing a Chinese pair in their opening-round clash.
On the other hand, the Indian women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Bhat and Shikha Gautam bowed out in the first round after losing to a Canadian pair in three games, 15-21, 21-17, 17-21.
Meanwhile, Ashmita Chaliha made a promising return from an ACL injury by qualifying for the main draw of a Super 500 tournament for the first time in two years.
She defeated the higher-ranked Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei 21-23, 21-16, 21-16 in the qualifying round and set up a round-of-32 clash against Indonesia’s Thalita.
