Appearing at just their third tournament together, Apriyani Rahayu and Febi Setianingrum collected a major win by ousting women’s doubles No.4 seeds Li Yi Ting and Luo Xu Min on the PERODUA Malaysia Masters 2025 opening day.

The newly formed Indonesian pair bounced back after losing the first game 21-11, gradually finding their rhythm to take the next two games 21-17 21-19.

“I’ve been struggling to give my best recently but fortunately I was able to bring it today,” said Setianingrum.

Speaking about her partnership with Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Rahayu, the 21-year-old admitted: “I was nervous at first but as time went by, I took the initiative to understand and communicate better with Apriyani. The nerves have fallen away and I’m continuously looking to learn more from a senior figure like her,” she added. “We weren’t thinking about winning or losing (today). We just took it point by point.”

Rahayu praised her young partner’s composure and mindset.

“We felt calm. Setianingrum’s game gets going when she’s calm. She has the desire to be a champion. She’s patient, hardworking and focused in training,” she said, emphasising her role in helping her teammate understand what it takes to succeed at the highest level.

Having returned to the HSBC BWF World Tour after a calf injury, the 27-year-old stated confidently: “I’m ready to fight on court again. I’m feeling 100 per cent physically, my heart is in the right place. I’m prepared to perform at my best.”

The win has set up a clash with Hsu Ya Ching and Sung Yu-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei in the Round of 16.

Underdogs Triumph

Meanwhile, another upset saw Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard deliver a stunning performance to dump men’s doubles sixth seeds Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi 27-25 18-21 21-16.

The world No.28s had lost two previous encounters with the Chinese duo but came into the match prepared.

“We knew this was going to be tough,” said Lundgaard. “We stayed solid throughout. We lost the lead in the second game but bounced back well in the decider.”

The 78-minute match, unusually long for men’s doubles, tested both physical endurance and mental resilience.

“We like short rallies but today they weren’t short,” Lundgaard jested. “I’m satisfied with how we kept playing our style and kept moving, even when it got tiring.”

Their tactical preparation also paid off. Rather than revisiting old defeats, they focused on fresh footage of their opponents.

“We saw their Asia Championships final,” the 24-year-old revealed. “That gave us good insight into how they’re playing.”

Reflecting on the broader Danish doubles scene following teammates William Kryger Boe and Christian Faust Kjaer’s runners-up finish at last week’s Thailand Open, Vestergaard said: “The boys were incredible in Bangkok. There’s a strong push from the younger players and we all work together back home.”

→ Results (Day 1)

→ Order of Play (Day 2)

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“The noise is challenging but we thrive off great atmosphere in stadiums across Asia. This is why we play badminton.” – Eloi Adam thankful for the experience at Axiata Arena despite losing to home pair Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin

“I’m not giving up until the very last point of the game.” – Jia Yi Fan or her mentality after she and Zhang Shu Xian defeated Nong Xin Yee/Carmen Ting 21-11 17-21 21-13

“We’ve struggled in recent months to get past the first round but there were flashes of brilliance in our rallies today with some creative play at the net and more success on our attacks. We are always positive as there are more tournaments coming.” – Ong Yew Sin on his and Teo Ee Yi’s approach to their form loss

“The crowd really got me over the line. They were very loud and energetic. I want to thank them for their support.” – Teoh Mei Xing after combining with Go Pei Kee for on an exciting 21-19 21-19 win over Chen Qing Chen/Wang Ting Ge