Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, September 24–28, 2025
556 players competed in the first PPA Malaysia Cup this weekend, with top pros from the United States in the mix. The tournament was headlined by Ben Johns, Christian Alshon, Anna Bright, and veteran Tyson McGuffin. Most Western favorites prevailed, though a few big upsets added excitement to a thrilling championship Sunday.
Highlights:
- Ben Johns and Christian Alshon fell short in Malaysia against the fiery duo of Eric Oncins and Tyson McGuffin in the men’s doubles final.
-
Kaitlyn Christian won two gold medals in women’s singles and women’s doubles and a silver in mixed doubles with Christian Alshon, narrowly missing a triple crown.
- Alix Truong and Jonathan Truong, now 7–4 as partners, captured bronze for their second medal in Asia after previously earning bronze at PPA Vietnam.
- Christian Alshon claimed his second consecutive men’s singles gold, outlasting Hong Kit Wong in a compelling final.
Mixed Doubles
Gold: Anna Bright & Ben Johns
Silver: Christian Alshon & Kaitlyn Christian
Bronze: Alix Truong & Jonathan Truong
Bright and Johns were untouchable in the final (11–2, 11–3), sweeping Alshon and Christian in straight games despite the heat. The Truongs delivered another bronze, rallying after dropping the first game and closing strong to secure their second Asian podium together (2–11, 11–5, 11–3).
Men’s Doubles
Gold: Eric Oncins & Tyson McGuffin
Silver: Ben Johns & Christian Alshon
Bronze: Zane Navratil & Armaan Bhatia
Oncins and McGuffin stunned the favorites (5–11, 15–13, 9–11), putting on a show in one of the weekend’s most dramatic matches. The momentum swung in the second game when Johns and Alshon edged out a 15–13 victory, but McGuffin and Oncins held on in the deciding game 3 to close 11–9. Johns/Alshon never fully settled, perhaps struggling with the environment and conditions in Malaysia. Navratil and Bhatia stormed back in the bronze match, winning the last two games after dropping the opener (7–11, 11–1, 11–8).
Women’s Doubles
Gold: Chao Yi Wang & Kaitlyn Christian
Silver: Danni-Elle Townsend & Nicola Schoeman
Bronze: Sahra Dennehy & Aiko Yoshitomi
Wang and Christian handled the key moments at the end of both games, saving multiple game points and clawing back to finish in straight games (6–11, 12–14). Townsend and Schoeman had their chances but could not convert to force a third game. Dennehy and Yoshitomi earned bronze, bouncing back after falling short in the quarterfinals at PPA Vietnam.
Women’s Singles
Gold: Kaitlyn Christian
Silver: Roos Van Reek
Bronze: Chao Yi Wang
Christian was in complete command from start to finish (11–4, 11–4), completing a dominant run to her third medal of the weekend. Wang secured her second medal of the day by decisively defeating Andie Dikosavljevic in the bronze match (11–9, 11–7).
Men’s Singles
Gold: Christian Alshon
Silver: Hong Kit Wong
Bronze: Hoang Nam Ly
Alshon’s singles streak continued with another title (11–9, 11–5). Wong kept the first game tight before Alshon pulled away, covering every inch of the court. In a rematch from PPA Vietnam, Hoang Nam Ly turned the tables on Hien Truong (11–4, 11–7), earning bronze after Truong had claimed it previously.
-PickleWave Team
Image credit: instagram @benjohns_pb
