The PERODUA Malaysia Masters 2023 presented by DAIHATSU marks the resumption of the HSBC BWF World Tour following a six-week break.
Learn more about the tournament which started in 2009.
China have 13 titles (joint highest with Indonesia) but are yet to conquer men’s singles and doubles .
This year, they have seeded entries in just women’s singles (No.2 Wang Zhi Yi , No.4 Han Yue ) and mixed doubles (No.4 Feng Yan Zhe /Huang Dong Ping ).
Wang, Feng and Huang were part of China’s Sudirman Cup-winning squad , from which Lu Guang Zu , Li Shi Feng , Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning have also made the draw.
Lee Chong Wei is the only player to win four on the spin (2009-2012).
With five podium finishes, the Malaysian is the competition’s most successful . His other victory came in 2016.
Three shuttlers have won in different categories at the same edition – Ma Jin (2009), Huang Ya Qiong (2014) and Christinna Pedersen (2015).
Korean Jeong Na Eun is the sole star seeded in two events in 2023 – fifth in women’s doubles (with Kim Hye Jeong ) and seventh in mixed doubles (Kim Won Ho ).
If triumphant, compatriot Seo Seung Jae , who is third seed in mixed doubles alongside Chae Yu Jung and partners Kang Min Hyuk in men’s doubles, will become the first male player to bag a similar feat .
Doubles powerhouse Korea, surprisingly, have no titles in both categories .
Dechapol Puavaranukroh /Sapsiree Taerattanachai are the highest remaining seeds (No.2) in mixed doubles – a discipline Thailand have never won .
Their rivals Tan Kian Meng /Lai Pei Jing are the most recent home shuttlers to be victorious (2017) .
Malaysia last took men’s doubles in 2013 through Goh V Shem /Lim Khim Wah and women’s doubles a year earlier via Eei Hui Chin /Pei Tty Wong .
The expectation of ending that wait will fall on second seeds Aaron Chia /Soh Wooi Yik and sixth seeds Tan Pearly /Thinaah Muralitharan .
Chia and Soh are yet to win a World Tour event while Tan/Muralitharan’s titles have come in Europe (Swiss Open 2021, French Open 2022).
India’s three triumphs are all in women’s singles . Two of those were courtesy of this edition’s sixth seed Pusarla V. Sindhu (2013, 2016).
Repeat glory will see Indonesians Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo and Fajar Alfian /Muhammad Rian Ardianto crowned the first champions in back-to-back years since Ratchanok Intanon in 2019.
Alfian/Ardianto, also winners in 2018, are the only top seeds with prior success at the tournament. Nami Matsuyama /Chiharu Shida finished runners-up to Chen Qing Chen /Jia Yi Fan last year while countrywoman Akane Yamaguchi ’s furthest foray is to the semifinals.
Women’s singles third seed Intanon is among a host of former titlists in the draw.
The others are Hendra Setiawan , Akane Yamaguchi , Busanan Ongbamrungphan , Praveen Jordan , Misaki Matsutomo , Marcus Fernaldi Gideon /Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo , Ng Ka Long Angus , Jongkolphan Kititharakul /Rawinda Prajongjai , Tang Chun Man /Tse Ying Suet , Yuki Fukushima /Sayaka Hirota , Kento Momota and Li Wen Mei .
However, Setiawan (with Markis Kido in 2012), Matsutomo (Ayaka Takahashi in 2016), Jordan (Vita Marissa in 2013) and Li (with Zheng Yu in 2020) won with their old partners .
No nation has dominated a discipline like Indonesia in men’s doubles. Five of the last six finals went their way.
In second seeds Apriyani Rahayu /Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti , they also have strong contenders to halt a 10-year drought in women’s doubles. Rizki Amelia Pradipta /Pia Zebadiah Bernadet delivered in 2013.
Standout Stat: Japan are the sole country with previous winners in every category .
Momota after winning in 2020.