Ben Johns Panas Malaysia Cup Debut: The Panas Malaysia Cup on the PPA Tour Asia will light up Malaysian courts from Wednesday, September 24, to Sunday, September 28. Top-ranked men’s and mixed doubles player Ben Johns leads the field as the No. 1 seed in both events, creating excitement with two new partnerships that have fans buzzing.
Ben Johns Forms New Doubles Teams
Ben Johns will team with Christian Alshon in men’s doubles, an unexpected move after years of facing each other as rivals. The two will test their skills together for the first time, offering one of the tournament’s most intriguing storylines. In mixed doubles, Ben Johns reunites with Anna Bright, a pairing that previously reached the final at the LA Open in April 2024. Their quarter of the draw includes Armaan Bhatia and Liz Truluck, adding more competition to the path toward gold.
View this post on Instagram
Rising Stars and Big Returns
Zoey Wang of Chinese Taipei will make her PPA debut on Asian courts. The 23-year-old has three women’s singles medals but is still chasing her first gold. She will compete in all three events, partnering with Kaitlyn Christian in women’s doubles and Tyson McGuffin in mixed doubles.
Kaitlyn Christian, ranked No. 3 in PPA women’s singles, arrives in Malaysia on a hot streak. After winning gold at last December’s Daytona Beach Open, she has reached four straight finals and recently claimed the Las Vegas Walgreens Open title. Her strong play could lead to a quarterfinal match against No. 5 seed Yufei Long, who has won three of the last four women’s singles tournaments, including her first title at this same venue in July.
View this post on Instagram
Women’s Doubles Battles
Anna Bright and Roos van Reek hold the top seed in women’s doubles. Anna Bright brings a career total of 48 PPA Tour medals, including 19 golds, making them the team to beat. Another key pairing is Ting Chieh Wei and Alix Truong. Wei won three straight women’s doubles titles on the PPA Tour Asia before Truong ended her streak in Vietnam. Now they play together and could meet Yufei Long and Xiao Yi Wang-Beckvall in the quarterfinals. Wei previously won gold with both Long and Wang-Beckvall earlier this season.
Mixed Doubles Storylines
The mixed doubles draw is also full of drama. The No. 4 seeded Truong siblings, Jonathan Truong and Alix Truong, may face Australia’s Joseph Wild and Danni-Elle Townsend in the quarterfinals. The Australian pair knocked the siblings out in the Vietnam semifinals earlier this month, setting up a chance for revenge.
Roos van Reek, already a gold medalist in Hong Kong, partners with Zane Navratil in mixed doubles. They face a challenging quarter that includes Christian Alshon and Kaitlyn Christian. Zane Navratil’s experience with U.S. mixed doubles medals adds strength to their campaign.
What It Means
The Panas Malaysia Cup combines world-class talent, surprising partnerships, and potential rematches. With rivals joining forces and top seeds facing tough early tests, the tournament promises thrilling matches and could set the stage for future PPA Tour rivalries.
News in Brief: Ben Johns Panas Malaysia Cup Debut
Ben Johns headlines the Panas Malaysia Cup from September 24–28 in Malaysia. He teams with Christian Alshon in men’s doubles and Anna Bright in mixed doubles. Rising stars like Zoey Wang, Kaitlyn Christian, and Yufei Long join the action, promising exciting matches and new rivalries on the PPA Tour Asia.