Korea Open: Pang Ron-Pei Jing rout home pair to reach quarters, Tang Jie-Wen Tse out

Malaysia's in-form mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing are through to the quarter-finals of the Korea Open in Yeosu. On Thursday, 5 November, they beat home pair Jin Sung Ik and Lee Seung Hee 21-8, 21-15 in just 32 minutes. Malaysia's other mixed pair in the last 16, Chen Tang Jie and Chan Wen Tse, lost to China's third seeds.

A one-sided win over the home pair

Hoo and Lai, the world No. 15 pair, went into the match with the Koreans ranked just one place below them at No. 14. The scoreline did not reflect that. The Malaysians controlled the first game, conceding only eight points, and closed out the second without letting the home pair back in. The win came after a 21-10, 21-14 first-round victory over Thailand's Saeheng pair earlier in the week.

In the quarter-finals on Friday, 6 November, they will face either China's top seeds Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin, the world No. 2 pair, or Japan's Haruki Kawabe and Kokona Ishikawa. Those two pairs were also playing their last-16 match on Thursday.

A remarkable rise since May

Hoo and Lai only began playing together in May, according to Free Malaysia Today. They have since climbed from No. 460 to No. 15 in the world. They have reached five semi-finals in 10 World Tour events this season and finished runners-up at two Super 750 tournaments, the China Masters in September and the French Open in October.

Last week at the Hylo Open in Saarbrucken, Germany, they reached the semi-finals before losing 20-22, 21-16, 17-21 to French world champions Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue in a 70-minute match, The Star reported. They were also semi-finalists at the Denmark Open.

That run has made them contenders for a place at the season-ending World Tour Finals in Hangzhou on 9-13 December. The Star reported that the pair moved from 36th to 20th in the qualifying standings in October. They plan to play the Kumamoto Masters in Japan from 10 to 15 November and the Hong Kong Open from 17 to 22 November, where more deep runs could help their qualification chances.

Tang Jie and Wen Tse beaten by third seeds

There was disappointment for Chen Tang Jie and Chan Wen Tse, who lost 7-21, 13-21 in 29 minutes to China's Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi, the third seeds and world No. 8 pair. The defeat leaves Hoo and Lai as Malaysia's only mixed doubles pair in the quarter-finals.

Other Malaysians in action on Thursday

Several other Malaysians had last-16 matches on Thursday, and some results were not yet available at the time of writing. In men's doubles, world No. 9 pair Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun were drawn against Taiwan's Chen Zhi Ray and Lin Yu Chieh, and Chia Wei Jie and Teo Ee Yi against Taiwan's He Jhe Wei and Huang Jui Hsuan. Goh V Shem, partnering South Korea's Choi Sol Gyu, faced Japan's Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi. In women's singles, K. Letshanaa had a second-round match against world No. 1 An Se Young, who had beaten her in all four of their previous meetings.

The Korea Open is a BWF World Tour Super 500 event with US$500,000 in prize money. It runs from 3 to 8 November, with the finals on Sunday. Korea is on UTC+9, one hour ahead of Malaysia.

Key takeaways

• Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing beat South Korea's Jin Sung Ik and Lee Seung Hee 21-8, 21-15.
• They meet either top seeds Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin or Japan's Kawabe and Ishikawa in Friday's quarter-final.
• The pair began playing together in May and have risen from No. 460 to No. 15 in the world.
• Chen Tang Jie and Chan Wen Tse lost 7-21, 13-21 to China's third seeds Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi.
• Hoo and Lai are next due to play the Kumamoto Masters (10-15 November) and Hong Kong Open (17-22 November).

FAQ

Who did Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing beat in the last 16? They beat South Korea's Jin Sung Ik and Lee Seung Hee 21-8, 21-15 in 32 minutes on 5 November 2026.

When is the Korea Open final? The tournament in Yeosu runs from 3 to 8 November 2026, so the finals are on Sunday, 8 November. Korea is one hour ahead of Malaysia.

Are Hoo and Lai in the running for the World Tour Finals? Yes. Their results this autumn have lifted them up the qualifying standings for the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou on 9-13 December, with the Kumamoto Masters and Hong Kong Open still to come.

Sources: Free Malaysia Today, The Star, Liga Olahraga, CSW Sports, Wikipedia (BWF World Tour)