Eng Ler Qi emerged as one of the players to watch on opening day of the Allianz Malaysia Super 100 2026 after displaying resilience and determination in her women’s singles match at the Indoor Arena, EduCity Sports Complex here in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

Ler Qi defeated Hong Kong’s Saloni Samirbhai Mehta in a thrilling three-game encounter, winning 22-20, 19-21, 21-11. 

The victory highlighted her ability to handle pressure, particularly after the match was level at one game apiece.

Speaking after the match, Ler Qi admitted that she was slightly nervous at the beginning and needed time to adjust to the windy conditions on court. 

The challenging environment made it difficult for her to establish her rhythm early in the contest.

“At first, I felt nervous and found it difficult to get used to the court conditions because of the wind. I could not find my momentum, but I did not give up and kept trying,” she said.

Ler Qi explained that she reminded herself not to rush her shots or become overly concerned about making mistakes. The approach helped her regain confidence and gradually take control of the match.

“I just told myself not to rush, not to feel nervous about making mistakes, and to play my own game,” she said.

She also revealed that her opponent attempted to slow down the pace and draw her into a different rhythm. 

However, Ler Qi remained focused on maintaining the speed of her shots rather than adapting to her opponent’s preferred style of play.

“I kept reminding myself not to slow down the pace of my shots. Even if my opponent could still return them, I had to keep trying and not follow her rhythm,” she added.

Ler Qi described the tournament as a valuable opportunity to test herself against higher-ranked opponents. 

Although she had previously competed in a BWF World Tour Super 100 tournament two years ago, she admitted that her performance on that occasion had not met her expectations.

“I think this is a very good opportunity for me to gauge my level because many of the players here are ranked higher than me. I just want to avoid overthinking and focus on playing well,” she said.

Besides Ler Qi, several Malaysian representatives also recorded positive results in the qualifying rounds. 

Shahidi Shaneesa defeated Venezuela’s Juliana Zefanya Gabriela 21-10, 21-11 in the Women’s Singles, while Lim Zhi Shin recovered from a second game defeat to overcome Thailand’s Nattanan Kulamat 21-14, 8-21, 21-17.

In the Women’s Doubles, Dania Sofea and Tan Zhing Hui defeated compatriots Lee Xin Jie and Low Yeen Yuan 21-13, 21-9. 

Meanwhile, Tan Zhi Yang and Teoh Mei Xing secured a convincing 21-9, 21-11 victory over Beh Chun Meng and Karen Yun Qiao Feng in the Mixed Doubles.

Malaysia’s Men’s Doubles pair Beh Chun Meng and Choi Jian Sheng also advanced after defeating Eason Lee and Xu Wong 21-10, 21-14. 

Another Malaysian combination, Juan Jeremy Zhen Liang and Lim Tze Jian, delivered an impressive performance to beat Türkiye’s Bugra Aktas and Emre Sonmez 21-16, 21-8.

Razeeq Danial also claimed a victory in the Men’s Singles, overcoming Indonesia’s Henrikho Wibowo Kho 23-21, 21-17. 

In the Mixed Doubles, Juan Jeremy Zhen Liang and Low Yeen Yuan bounced back from a narrow 20-22 opening game defeat to beat India’s Samarveer Samarveer and Vaishnavi Khadekar 21-13, 21-14.