The KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2026 presented by JK Technology opened with a major upset at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, as Malaysia’s new mixed doubles pairing Jimmy Wong and Cheng Su Yin defeated world No. 1 Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China in straight games.

Playing only their second tournament together, Wong and Cheng held their nerve in a tight opening game before taking control in the second to secure a 23–21, 21–16 victory. While the mixed doubles top seeds exited early, the No. 1 seeds in all other categories reached the second round.

Malaysian underdogs pull off shock of the day

Wong and Cheng delivered the standout result of the opening day, upsetting China’s top seeds Feng and Huang in 43 minutes.

The closing stretch of the first game proved decisive. After trading momentum throughout, the Malaysians saved two game points at 19–20 and 20–21, then strung together the final three points to steal the opener 23–21.

Wong and Cheng carried that momentum into the second game. After edging ahead 3–2, they did not relinquish the lead and closed out the match 21–16. Feng and Huang had their moments, but the Malaysians were sharper in key exchanges and stayed patient throughout the match.

The result was made even more impressive by the partnership’s newness. Wong and Cheng were paired only last month and had lost in straight games to Denmark’s world No. 6 pair, Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje, in their debut at last week’s Malaysia Masters.

Their win over the world’s top-ranked pair in Singapore marked a sharp and timely response, with Wong reflecting: “In our first tournament, we didn’t perform that well, but we tried to bounce back in this tournament, and we managed to do it.”

“So yes, we are really happy with the result. I think the main key was patience. We had to stay patient throughout the match while also being aggressive at the right moments.”

The Malaysian pair will next face Chinese Taipei’s Yang Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling Fang, who edged India’s Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani 21-18, 22-20.

An Se Young eases through opening round

Top-seeded An Se Young of South Korea made a commanding start to her campaign, defeating compatriot Sim Yu Jin 21–12, 21–3 in just 28 minutes.

The scoreline was emphatic, but An had to respond to early pressure in the first game. Sim started brightly, opening a 9–5 lead, before the world No. 1 settled into the match and reeled off nine consecutive points to move ahead 14–9. From there, An controlled the tempo, limiting Sim’s chances to build a sustained run, before taking the opening game 21–12.

The second game was even more one-sided. An produced one of the day’s most dominant scoring runs, winning 14 consecutive points and allowing Sim just three points in the game. Once An found her rhythm, she gave her compatriot little room to recover.

An, aiming for her third Singapore Open title in four years, will face Chinese Taipei’s Sung Shuo Yun in the Round of 16 after Sung defeated Turkey’s Neslihan Arin 21–9, 21–16. An holds a 3–0 head-to-head record against Sung.

Shi Yu Qi advances after tight test

Men’s singles top seed Shi Yu Qi of China came through a competitive opening-round match against Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto, winning 21–17, 21–18 in 48 minutes.

Nishimoto kept both games close, forcing Shi to work for every opening. The first game was tight through the middle stages, with neither player able to break away early. Shi eventually found the cleaner finish, using a late push to take the opener 21–17.

The second game followed a similar pattern. Nishimoto stayed within reach and continued to test Shi in longer exchanges, but the Chinese top seed remained composed in the closing points. Shi’s ability to control the final phase of both games proved decisive as he completed the straight-games win.

Shi will next face Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan in the Round of 16, marking their first meeting.

Kim and Seo continue winning start to the season

Top-seeded men’s doubles pair Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea advanced with a 21–16, 21–17 win over the young Chinese pair Hu Ke Yuan and Lin Xiang Yi in 39 minutes.

The Koreans were pushed at times, particularly in the second game, but were sharper in key moments. After taking the first game 21–16, they used a five-point run in the second game to create a gap and keep the Chinese pair at arm’s length.

Hu and Lin continued to fight back and put together a run of their own to close the gap to 17-18, but Kim and Seo held their ground in the closing stages, finishing the match with three consecutive points to secure a straight-games victory.  

Kim and Seo extended their unbeaten run for the year to 17-0 and remain among the pairs to watch this week. They will next face Chinese Taipei’s Zhi-Wei He and Huang Jui-Hsuan, whom they’ve not met before.

Liu and Tan breeze through in women’s doubles

World No. 1 women’s doubles pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China began their campaign with a comfortable 21–10, 21–15 win over Indonesia’s Amallia Cahaya Pratiwi and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti in 41 minutes.

The Chinese pair made a strong start in the opening game, keeping the Indonesians under pressure and leaving them little room to build a rhythm. The second game was more competitive, with both pairs recording five-point scoring runs, but Liu and Tan stayed composed in the closing stages to secure the straight-games victory.

The top seeds, who entered the tournament with a 24–3 win-loss record this season, move into the Round of 16 and will face Chinese Taipei’s Hsu Ya Ching and Sung Yu-Hsuan.

Singapore’s Koh and Kubo bow out on Super 750 debut

Local men’s doubles pair Wesley Koh and Kubo Junsuke saw their Super 750 Singapore Open debut end in the opening round, losing 14–21, 12–21 to sixth seeds Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani of Indonesia.

The Singaporean pair had previously pushed the Indonesians to three games at the 2025 SEA Games, but could not match that resistance at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Koh and Kubo struggled to build sustained runs, with their longest scoring streak limited to two points in each game.

By contrast, Gutama and Isfahani were more consistent throughout the match. The Indonesians used a five-point run in the opening game and a six-point run in the second to take control, demonstrating their experience and class whenever the Singaporeans threatened to close the gap.

The KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2026 plays from 26th to 31st May 2026 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster, with daily passes priced from $40 and season passes from $115.