Malaysia’s mixed doubles pair Liew Xun and Nicole Tan bowed out of the ALLIANZ Malaysia SUPER 100 2026 after conceding to Indonesia’s Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Melati Daeva Oktavianti in the quarter-finals at the Indoor Arena, EduCity Sports Complex, today.
The Indonesian pair delivered a convincing performance to secure a straight-games victory, winning 21-13, 21-6 to book their place in the semi-finals.
Liew acknowledged that his opponents’ greater experience made it difficult for the Malaysian pair to establish their own rhythm throughout the match.
“They were more experienced, and we found it difficult to settle into our own rhythm because they were able to dictate the pace of the game. We need to be more patient and control our emotions better on court,” he said.
Liew also identified their rotation and shot quality as key areas that needed improvement to compete against more experienced opponents.
“I think our weaknesses were our rotation and the quality of our shots. These are areas we need to improve significantly if we want to compete against players at this level,” he added.
Meanwhile, Nicole Tan highlighted the court conditions, including the wind on each side of the court, and her opponents’ experience as factors that influenced the match. She also acknowledged that communication between the Malaysian pair could improve, given that this was their first time partnering each other.
“The wind conditions on each side of the court also played a part, while our opponents were more experienced and able to maintain their rhythm. As this was our first time partnering together, our communication can still improve,” she said.
Despite the defeat, Nicole viewed the match as a valuable learning opportunity, particularly in facing experienced players at the international level.
“Playing against top players like them gives us an opportunity to learn from their style of play. This tournament has also helped me identify the areas I need to improve. We will take these lessons back, continue learning and work harder in training,” she added.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair Kang Khai Xing and Lok Hong Quan secured their place in the semi-finals after their Chinese Taipei opponents, Chen Bo-Yuan and Lu Ming Che, retired while trailing 0-3 in the opening game.
The ALLIANZ Malaysia SUPER 100 2026 runs from 13 to 18 October at the Indoor Arena, EduCity Sports Complex, in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
