Ben Johns Brings Star Power and New Partnerships as Panas Malaysia Cup Draws Drop

The draws are out for the Panas Malaysia Cup 2025, and the world’s best are bringing massive entertainment to Malaysian courts from September 24-28.

All eyes scan the draw for one name: Ben Johns. The PPA Tour #1 in Men’s and Mixed Doubles claims top seeding in both events, but it’s his partnerships that have notifications pinging.

After 47 battles across PPA and MLP events, Johns and Christian Alshon are calling a truce – at least for one tournament. The longtime rivals will test their chemistry as Men’s Doubles partners in what might be the week’s most intriguing experiment. Fans who’ve watched them trade firepower from opposite ends now get to see what happens when their paddles point the same direction.

The Mixed Doubles brings another rare treat as Johns reunites with Anna Bright. The powerhouse pair have teamed just once before at a PPA Tour event – reaching the LA Open final in April 2024. Now they’re back for another shot at gold, with Johns and Bright landing in the same quarter as newly signed PPA Tour pro Armaan Bhatia and Liz Truluck.

Star Power Stacks the Draw

Chinese Taipei’s Chao Yi Wang makes her highly anticipated PPA debut on Asian courts. The 23-year-old has nabbed three Women’s Singles medals but that elusive gold remains out of reach. Now she’s chasing it closer to where her pickleball journey started, competing across all three events, with Kaitlyn Christian (Women’s Doubles) and Tyson McGuffin (Mixed Doubles) as her partners.

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Speaking of Christian, the PPA Tour Women’s Singles #3 lands in Malaysia riding serious momentum. After her breakthrough gold at last December’s Daytona Beach Open and her unstoppable run of four straight finals that followed, that talent is traveling to Asia. With a recent title at the Las Vegas Walgreens Open, Malaysian fans get their first look at one of pickleball’s hottest players.

Christian’s path could lead to a quarterfinal clash with #5 seed Yufei Long. Long has owned Women’s Singles on the tour, taking three of four tournaments since her maiden gold at this very venue in July. The Chinese star now returns to where her dominance began.

Doubles Drama Brewing

The Women’s Doubles delivers instant intrigue. Anna Bright and Roos van Reek hold top seeding – Bright bringing 48 PPA Tour medals with 19 golds to the partnership. But the real fireworks could come from the other half where Ting Chieh Wei teams with Alix Truong.

Wei won three straight Women’s Doubles titles on PPA Tour Asia – then Truong ended that streak in Vietnam. Now they’re partners, potentially facing Yufei Long and Xiao Yi Wang-Beckvall in the quarters. The kicker? Wei won gold with both of them earlier this season.

More revenge potential lurks in Mixed Doubles where the #4 seeded Truong siblings could meet Australia’s Joseph Wild and Danni-Elle Townsend in the quarters. The #8 seeded Aussies knocked out the Americans in Vietnam’s semifinals earlier this month – now Jonathan and Alix get a shot at payback.

Van Reek already struck gold in Hong Kong and now partners Zane Navratil in Mixed Doubles. The American-Dutch combo faces a loaded quarter including Alshon and Christian, but Navratil’s US Mixed Doubles medals suggest they’re ready for the challenge.

Qualifying kicks off September 24 at 9Pickle Setia Alam and Setia City Convention Centre. With rivals becoming partners and revenge matches brewing, Malaysia’s courts are set to sizzle.