An Se-young, Shi Yuqi struggle through as Christo Popov crashes out in Malaysia Open 2026 first round

The biggest shock of the opening day was undoubtedly the bitter 1-2 defeat of rising star Christo Popov. Despite his recent success, the Frenchman fell to Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu, who currently sits 11 spots below him in the BWF rankings. Popov initially took control with a dominant 21-13 win in the first game. 

However, a series of unforced errors in the subsequent sets allowed Cheuk Yiu to fight back. The match slipped away from Popov as he lost the final two games in tight finishes, 19-21 and 21-23. 

To make matters worse for French badminton, Christo’s brother, Toma Junior Popov, also exited the tournament following a 1-2 loss to Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto.

In contrast, Shi Yuqi, who was defeated by Christo Popov in the World Tour Finals just weeks ago, showed incredible resilience to advance. The world number one faced Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke in a match that tested his physical limits. 

Gemke’s steady and stubborn playing style forced Shi into long, exhausting rallies. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old superstar used his superior experience and class to navigate the difficult moments. Shi Yuqi eventually secured a 2-0 victory, proving why he remains the man to beat in the men's singles category.

Earlier in the day, top-seeded An Se-young also struggled during her opening match against Canada's Michelle Li. The South Korean star appeared fatigued after a long season, dropping the first game 19-21 due to uncharacteristic mistakes. 

However, the defending champion found her rhythm just in time. An Se-young improved her accuracy and applied intense pressure on her opponent to complete a comeback victory with scores of 21-16 and 21-18 after 75 minutes of play.

The Malaysia Open 2026 is a prestigious BWF World Tour Super 1000 event, serving as one of the most important tournaments of the season. Held at the iconic Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, the tournament runs from January 6 to January 11, 2026. 

With a massive total prize pool of $1,450,000, it attracts the world's elite players who are all competing for significant ranking points and a share of the substantial rewards.