Indian men’s doubles pair produce a stunning performance to defeat the fancied French duo in the opening round of the Super 500 tournament.
India’s rising men’s doubles combination of Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun made an impressive start at the Malaysia Masters 2026 after pulling off a memorable victory over France’s Popov brothers in Kuala Lumpur.
The Indian pair stunned Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov in the opening round of the BWF Super 500 event, delivering one of the biggest upsets of the day. Hariharan and Arjun looked sharp from the beginning, matching the experienced French brothers with aggressive attacking play and excellent coordination at the net.
The win marks another encouraging step for the Indian duo, who have steadily gained confidence on the international circuit over the last year. The partnership, formed under the guidance of national doubles coach Tan Kim Her, has shown rapid improvement with several strong performances across BWF tournaments.
Hariharan and Arjun have already enjoyed a promising 2026 season with notable performances in the India Open and Orleans Masters. Their latest triumph against the Popov brothers further highlights their growing stature in world badminton.
The French siblings came into the tournament as favourites because of their higher ranking and experience on the world tour. However, the Indian duo stayed composed during crucial rallies and capitalised on key moments to seal the contest.
The Malaysia Masters, being a prestigious Super 500 tournament on the BWF calendar, offers valuable ranking points and high-level competition. The event is being held in Kuala Lumpur and features several top-ranked shuttlers from around the world.
With this victory, Hariharan and Arjun have once again underlined India’s growing strength in men’s doubles badminton, a category that has seen significant progress in recent years thanks to the success of pairs like Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
Discussion about this post