Malaysia Open: Trio Blaze a Trail
Throughout its 87-year existence, a page was conspicuously missing for Korea in women’s singles and Japan in mixed doubles in tournament records until An Se Young and Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino stepped up to…
· PREM KUMAR
Throughout its 87-year existence, a page was conspicuously missing for Korea in women’s singles and Japan in mixed doubles in tournament records until An Se Young and Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino stepped up to correct the anomaly at PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2024 today.
At a near-capacity Axiata Arena, Watanabe/Higashino completed the job early doors, beating Kim Won Ho/Jeong Na Eun 21-18 21-15 in the opening final.
“I’m only hearing about this now,” was Watanabe’s spontaneous reaction when told of his feat with Higashino. “It makes me very proud to make mixed doubles history for Japan here and there’s an incentive now to defend it next year.