Hylo Open 2026: Aaron-Roy King and Pang Ron-Pei Jing lose three-game semi-finals in Saarbrucken

Malaysia's interest in the Hylo Open 2026 is over. Both of the country's semi-finalists in Saarbrucken, Germany, were beaten in three games on Saturday (31 October): men's doubles pair Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King fell to Denmark's Christian Faust Kjaer-Rasmus Kjaer, and mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing lost to French second seeds Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue. Neither Malaysian pair will feature in Sunday's finals at the Saarlandhalle.

Aaron-Roy King let an opening-game lead slip

Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King made the stronger start against the Kjaers, taking the first game 21-18. The Danes responded by winning the second 21-15, and they edged a tight decider 21-18 to close out the match in 59 minutes. The final score from the Malaysian point of view reads 21-18, 15-21, 18-21.

It was a disappointing end to what had been a convincing week for the pair. In the quarter-finals on Friday they had beaten Taiwan's fifth seeds Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang Chi-Lin in straight games, 21-16, 21-17. The Kjaers now meet Ben Lane-Sean Vendy in the men's doubles final; the English pair beat France's Julien Maio-William Villeger 21-13, 18-21, 21-16 in the other semi-final.

Pang Ron-Pei Jing push the second seeds the distance

Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing came even closer to a second final in a row. Facing Gicquel and Delrue, they lost a close opening game 20-22, levelled the match by taking the second 21-16, but could not hold on in the decider, which went to the French pair 21-17. The match lasted 70 minutes.

The Malaysians had reached the last four with a 21-17, 21-17 quarter-final win over Hong Kong's seventh seeds Chan Yin Chak-Ng Tsz Yau. Gicquel and Delrue will play Denmark's Jesper Toft-Amalie Kudsk in Sunday's mixed doubles final. The Danes needed three games to beat Indonesia's Amri Syahnawi-Nita Marwah 21-23, 21-12, 22-20.

Back-to-back weeks of strong form

The semi-final loss does not undo a productive fortnight in Europe for Pang Ron-Pei Jing. A week earlier they finished as runners-up at the French Open 2026, where they were beaten 10-21, 13-21 in the final by China's world No. 1 pair Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping. Back-to-back deep runs at consecutive tournaments show the pair are consistently competing with higher-ranked opposition, even if the final step remains elusive.

For Aaron and Roy King, a Hylo Open semi-final and a quarter-final win over seeded opponents is a useful result, but the way the match against the Kjaers turned after they had won the first game will be a point to review.

Who is left in the Hylo Open finals

Sunday's finals in Saarbrucken (played on Sunday evening Malaysia time, as Germany is seven hours behind) feature:

• Men's singles: Jonatan Christie (Indonesia) v Lakshya Sen (India)
• Women's singles: Line Kjaersfeldt (Denmark) v PV Sindhu (India)
• Men's doubles: Ben Lane-Sean Vendy (England) v Christian Faust Kjaer-Rasmus Kjaer (Denmark)
• Women's doubles: Hsu Yin-Hui-Lin Jhih Yun (Taiwan) v Amallia Pratiwi-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (Indonesia)
• Mixed doubles: Jesper Toft-Amalie Kudsk (Denmark) v Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue (France)

Christie reached the men's singles final after Denmark's Anders Antonsen retired injured during the second game of their semi-final.

Key takeaways

• Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King lost 21-18, 15-21, 18-21 to Denmark's Christian Faust Kjaer-Rasmus Kjaer in 59 minutes.
• Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing lost 20-22, 21-16, 17-21 to France's second seeds Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue in 70 minutes.
• Malaysia have no players in the Hylo Open finals on Sunday, 1 November.
• Pang Ron-Pei Jing were French Open runners-up a week earlier, so this was a second straight semi-final or better.

FAQ

Who beat Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King at the Hylo Open 2026? Denmark's Christian Faust Kjaer and Rasmus Kjaer won 18-21, 21-15, 21-18 in the semi-finals on 31 October.

How did Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing lose their semi-final? They were beaten 22-20, 16-21, 21-17 by France's second seeds Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue after 70 minutes.

Where is the Hylo Open 2026 being played? At the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrucken, Germany, with the finals on Sunday, 1 November.

Sources: Malay Mail, Bernama, Badminton.de (German Badminton Association)