The Panas Malaysia Cup 2025 brought high drama on Thursday as top seeds fell and underdogs shined in Kuala Lumpur. UPA Asia Trailblazer Marco Leung stunned second seed Grayson Goldin in men’s singles, while Huang Hsiang Wen of Chinese Taipei mounted a thrilling comeback against fourth seed Hannah Blatt. Other matches also delivered tense three-game battles, making Day 1 of the main draw one to remember.
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Major Upsets in Singles
Marco Leung produced the biggest surprise of the day by defeating Grayson Goldin 11-9, 10-12, 11-9. Leung grabbed the first game in a tight finish, lost a close second game, and then held firm in the deciding game to secure the biggest win of his career.
Huang Hsiang Wen also delivered a shock in women’s singles. Facing Canadian Hannah Blatt, Huang dropped the opening game but battled back to win 10-12, 12-10, 13-11. In the final game, she erased an 0-9 deficit before finishing the match in dramatic style.
Strong Performances in Doubles
Australia’s Sahra Dennehy emerged as Thursday’s standout player by reaching three quarterfinals. She rallied past third seed Liz Truluck 7-11, 11-9, 11-6 in women’s singles. Later, Dennehy paired with Santhosh Narayanan in mixed doubles to defeat Hannah Blatt and Grayson Goldin 7-11, 11-8, 11-3, completing a sweep over the North American seeds.
In other mixed doubles action, Yufei Long and Hoang Nam Ly beat Roos van Reek and Zane Navratil 7-11, 11-7, 11-6 to set up a quarterfinal clash with Christian Alshon and Kaitlyn Christian.
Ben Johns Tested Early
Even men’s world No. 1 Ben Johns faced a scare. Teaming with Christian Alshon for the first time in men’s doubles, the pair raced to an 11-0 win in the first game but stumbled in the second, losing 9-11 to Hien Truong and Quan Do. They steadied themselves in the decider to win 11-8 and advance. Johns later found smoother success in mixed doubles, winning in straight games alongside Anna Bright.
Looking Ahead
Thursday’s upsets have opened the door for more surprises as the Panas Malaysia Cup heads into Friday’s quarterfinals. With top seeds already falling and new stars emerging, fans can expect more intense battles as the tournament continues.
News in Brief: Panas Malaysia Cup 2025
The Panas Malaysia Cup 2025 began with stunning upsets in Kuala Lumpur. Marco Leung upset Grayson Goldin, while Huang Hsiang Wen rallied past Hannah Blatt. Sahra Dennehy advanced in all three events, and Ben Johns survived a men’s doubles scare. Friday’s quarterfinals promise more drama and unpredictable action.
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