Malaysia's top men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani carried their impressive form into the Japan Open after securing a straight games victory in the opening round on Tuesday.
The world No. 6 duo defeated China's Hu Ke Yuan and Lin Xiang Yi 22-20, 21-18 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium to book their place in the second round of the Super 750 tournament.
Seeded fifth, Sze Fei and Izzuddin were tested in a closely fought opening game before edging it by two points. They looked more comfortable in the second game, maintaining control to complete the win in straight sets.
The victory continues the Malaysians' strong run after lifting the Indonesia Open title last month. Their latest result also reinforces their status as one of the favourites to challenge for the Japan Open crown.
Sze Fei and Izzuddin will next face either Japan's Keiichiro Matsui and Kenya Mitsuhashi or Denmark's Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen for a place in the quarter-finals.
Having successfully carried their winning momentum from Jakarta into Tokyo, the Malaysian pair will be aiming to extend their run and add another deep tournament finish to an already impressive season.
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