All smiles: Back-up pair Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri capture their first title this year.
PETALING JAYA: Men's doubles shuttlers Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri showed they are back in business after a hard fought victory in the Orleans Masters final on Sunday (March 17).
World No. 40 Hon Jian-Haikal dropped a game before beating Indonesia's world No. 49 Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza 21-15, 18-21, 21-14 in Orleans.
It was the rising young pair's first title of the year and third crown together after they won the back-to-back Syed Modi International and Indian Masters at the end of 2023.
It was a sweet victory especially for Haikal after he was forced to concede a walkover on the eve of his final with former partner Wan Arif Wan Junaidi in the 2022 edition after the former was tested positive for Covid-19.
The triumph is also a boost for Hon Jian-Haikal ahead of the Swiss Open in Basel starting on Tuesday (March 19).
FINAL RESULTS
Men's singles: Yushi Tanaka (Jpn) bt Koo Takahashi (Jpn) 21-18, 21-10.
Men's doubles: Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri (Mas) bt Sabar Gutama-Moh Reza (Ina) 21-15, 18-21, 21-14.
Women's singles: Tomoka Miyazaki (Jpn) bt Hina Akechi (Jpn) 21-18, 21-12.
Women's doubles: Meilysa Trias-Rachel Allessya (Ina) Rui Hirokami-Yuna Kato (Jpn) 21-12, 21-18.
Mixed doubles: Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi (Chn) bt Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas (Chn) 16-21, 21-18, 21-15.
