Malaysia Open: Iwanaga/Nakanishi Thump Another Barrier
Having bagged one first for their partnership in November, Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi netted another big breakthrough at PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2024.
· PREM KUMAR
By beating third seeds Kim So Yeong/Kong Hee Yong 21-16 21-16, the world No.15s ensured a maiden Super 1000 quarterfinal appearance, two months after taking their first title at Syed Modi India International.
“Winning in India boosted our confidence and we’ve carried that into the new year. This is the most confident we’ve felt since we came together,” acknowledged Nakanishi.
“Previously against higher-ranked pairs, our approach was to be on the front foot. Today we were measured, there was more variation in our shots and Kim/Kong couldn’t anticipate our next move.”