French Open finals: Malaysia guaranteed men's doubles crown, Pearly-Thinaah and Pang Ron-Pei Jing chase titles
Four Malaysian pairs are in Sunday's French Open finals in Paris, including an all-Malaysian men's doubles final between Sze Fei-Izzuddin and Man-Tee.
Malaysian badminton heads into Sunday's French Open finals with a title already secured and two more within reach. Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani will meet in an all-Malaysian men's doubles final at Arena Grand Paris, while Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah and Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing contest the women's doubles and mixed doubles finals at the Super 750 event. The finals are played on Sunday afternoon in Paris, which is Sunday evening in Malaysia; Europe's clocks go back on Sunday, so Paris will be seven hours behind Malaysia time.
An all-Malaysian men's doubles final
Both Malaysian men's pairs beat Indonesian opponents in straight games in Saturday's semi-finals. Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun defeated Raymond Indra-Nikolaus Joaquin 21-16, 21-15, and Goh Sze Fei-Izzuddin edged a tight first game before running away with the second against Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin, 22-20, 21-9. Each match lasted 31 minutes, according to Bernama.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin, ranked fifth in the world, have been one of the stories of the week after knocking out world No. 1 and top seeds Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae 21-15, 21-18 in the quarter-finals. They have already won the Indonesia Masters and the Indonesia Open this season. Man-Tee, ranked 11th, reached the last four after Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik conceded their quarter-final with Man-Tee leading 5-0, with Wooi Yik reported to be injured. Sze Fei-Izzuddin have won two of the three previous meetings between the pairs.
Pearly-Thinaah chase another Paris title
Second seeds Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, the world No. 4 pair, produced a remarkable comeback to beat Japan's Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi 21-17, 22-20 in 47 minutes. They trailed 3-12 in the second game before levelling at 18-18 and again at 20-20, then closing it out.
Their opponents in the final are Japan's top seeds Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto, who beat Indonesia's Rachel Allessya Rose-Febi Setianingrum 21-18, 21-15. Pearly-Thinaah won the French Open in 2022 and have already collected the Indonesia Masters and the Denmark Open titles this year, so a win would be their third title of 2026.
Pang Ron-Pei Jing face the world No. 1s
Independent mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing, ranked 31st in the world, overwhelmed sixth seeds Guo Xin Wa-Chen Fang Hui of China 21-13, 21-9 in 31 minutes. It is their second Super 750 final in a matter of weeks, following their runner-up finish at the China Masters.
Standing in their way are the same opponents who beat them in that China Masters final: world No. 1s Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping. The Chinese top seeds survived a thriller against home favourites Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue, winning 19-21, 21-17, 21-19 in 72 minutes. French badminton site Badzine reported that the French pair were given a red card at 19-19 in the decider for exceeding the 25-second break limit, before the Chinese won on their first match point.
What is at stake
With the men's doubles crown guaranteed, Malaysia will leave Paris with at least one title, and a sweep of all three doubles events remains possible. The winners of each doubles event take home US$70,300 from the tournament's US$950,000 prize pot, with runners-up earning US$33,250.
Key takeaways
- Malaysia are guaranteed the French Open men's doubles title after an all-Malaysian final was confirmed.
- Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin face Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun; Sze Fei-Izzuddin lead their head-to-head 2-1.
- Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah meet Japan's top seeds Fukushima-Matsumoto in the women's doubles final.
- Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing take on world No. 1s Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping in the mixed doubles final.
- Finals are on Sunday afternoon in Paris, Sunday evening in Malaysia.
FAQ
How many Malaysians are in the French Open 2026 finals? Four Malaysian pairs: two in the men's doubles final, plus one each in the women's doubles and mixed doubles finals.
Who do Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah play in the French Open final? They face Japan's top seeds Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto, who beat Indonesia's Rachel Allessya Rose and Febi Setianingrum in the semi-finals.
Have Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah won the French Open before? Yes. They won the title in 2022, beating Japan's Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara in the final.
Sources: Bernama, The Star, Free Malaysia Today, Malay Mail, ANTARA, Badzine, Wikipedia