Malaysia’s world champions fall at home: When the crowd’s roar isn’t enough to overcome a slow start

World champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei’s campaign at the PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2026 came to an end today (9 January), as the world No. 4 mixed doubles pair fell to Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet in the quarter-finals.

The match at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil was a hard-fought 67-minute battle that went the distance, with the Hong Kong pair—ranked eighth in the world—prevailing 21-17, 17-21, 21-10.

Chen and Toh started slowly, dropping the opening set 17-21 in 21 minutes. But the roar of the home crowd seemed to lift their spirits, and they bounced back strongly in the second set, levelling the match at 21-17 after 26 minutes of play.

The momentum, however, didn’t carry into the decider.

The Malaysian pair struggled to find their attacking rhythm early in the third set, allowing their opponents to build a commanding lead before closing out the match 21-10.

“We Couldn’t Create Attacking Opportunities”

Speaking after the match, Chen admitted the early stages of the third set proved costly.

At the start of the deciding set, I couldn’t create opportunities for us to attack. This caused the point gap to widen after the first 11 points. I tried to change our strategy at the time, but our opponents were faster at reading our moves.

The loss means Chen and Toh couldn’t replicate last year’s run to the semi-finals.

It also marks their second consecutive defeat to Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet, following a loss at the French Open last year.

The head-to-head record between the two pairs now stands at 2-2.

Chen acknowledged they faced experienced opponents and admitted he and Ee Wei were slow to adjust their tactics.

They have a very strong defence. We made mistakes in the first set, and after that, we needed to be more consistent.

A fist pump of determination from Chen Tang Jie as a play falls out during the match—but the fire couldn’t be sustained into the deciding set, where the world No. 4 pair managed just 10 points as their attacking game disappeared when it mattered most. Next stop: India Open, where redemption awaits in just days. (Pix: Fernando Fong)

Apology to the Fans

Ee Wei, visibly disappointed, apologised to the packed stadium of supporters who had come out to cheer them on.

Of course, we’re disappointed, but this is sport. You win some, you lose some. But for today’s match, we really need to review why we lost.

Thanks to everyone who came today; she really appreciates you all.

Chen and Toh (right) in motion during their quarter-final battle at Axiata Arena—a moment of coordination that couldn’t save them from a crushing third-set collapse against Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet. (Pix: Fernando Fong)

She noted that the stadium has been full from day one.

I don’t know what to say, except maybe to apologise to those who came to support us, but we couldn’t win this match. We really need to think about this.

The Melaka native added that the home crowd’s support throughout the tournament had been overwhelming.

I just want to say sorry to those who came to support us, but we couldn’t deliver the win.

Toh stretches for a desperate return as the Malaysian world champions fought to stay alive in their PETRONAS Malaysia Open campaign. The athletic display wasn’t enough to overcome their opponents’ relentless defence, with the pair falling 17-21, 21-17, 10-21 in front of a packed home crowd. (Pix: Fernando Fong)

From Malaysia heartbreak to India Hope

Despite the setback, there’s little time to dwell on the loss-they will next head to India, with the India Open starting on Tuesday.

“After this, we’ll be competing at the India Open, and we need to bounce back with a better performance,” Ee Wei said.

As for managing the packed World Tour schedule, Toh said she’s comfortable leaving those decisions to their coaches.

I’ll leave it entirely to the coaches regarding which tournaments we need to participate in.

The quarter-final exit ends what had been a promising start to the 2026 season for the world champions, but with a long year ahead, there will be plenty of opportunities to regroup and return stronger.