JAKARTA - The men's doubles Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Mohammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahani managed to beat their compatriots Raymond Indra/Nikolaus Joaquin to secure a ticket to the second round of the 2026 Malaysia Open.
The eighth seed got a ticket in the two-game match which ended with a score of 21-18 and 21-9 at the Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
"For Raymond/Joaquin, the young players, have more spirit, extraordinary, hopefully from them and others, we hope that the Indonesian men's doubles regeneration can continue to grow, can continue to grow," said Reza after the match.
Raymond/Nikolaus closed their journey last year with a sweet finish at the Australian Open. They climbed to the highest podium at the Super 500 level event by stopping the pair of Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.
On the other hand, Sabar/Reza managed to complete their journey by getting the gold medal at the 2025 SEA Games in the men's doubles sector. They also contributed to winning the gold medal in the men's doubles.
"The hope here is that we can continue to be consistent throughout the year. The capital was quite strong at the end of last year. (So, hopefully) it can bring positive results this year," said Reza.
In the second round, Sabar/Reza will meet the men's doubles Kang Min-hyuk/Ki Dong-ju from South Korea, who got a ticket to the second round by stopping Huang Di/Ren Xiang Yu (China).
Indonesia sent three representatives from the men's doubles sector. Another pair, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, also managed to secure a ticket to the second round, defeating the pair of Fang-Chih Lee/Fang-Jen Lee (China Taipei).
In addition to the two men's doubles tickets, Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Meilysa Trias Puspitasari also secured a ticket to the second round. The pair is the only Indonesian representative in the women's doubles sector.
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