By Sudipta Biswas

Copyright timesnownews

India’s top pickler Armaan Bhatia is set to make his mark on the PPA Tour Asia when the Panas Malaysia Cup gets underway on September 24. The finals are scheduled for September 28. Bhatia, who signed with UPA earlier this year following his stellar performance on the APP Tour, will compete in the mixed doubles category along with Liz Truluck of the USA. The duo of Bhatia and Truluck have been placed in the same category as American stars Ben Johns and Anna Bright. The tournament will see Johns and Bright reunite for the first time since they reached the LA Open final in April 2024. For both Bhatia and Truluck, it will be a great chance to test their skills against the top seeds. Bhatia rose to prominence in May this year when he claimed the New York City Open and became the first Indian pickler to win an APP Tour title, defeating the highly touted Alex Crum in the final. He followed it up with the Newport Beach Open title, claiming his second consecutive crown. Bhatia will look to maintain his form on the PPA Tour as well. Johns, the top seed, will also ply his trade in men’s doubles. It is his partnership with Christian Alshon that has caught everyone’s attention. After 47 battles across PPA and MLP events, Johns and Alshon will pair up at least for one tournament. The longtime rivals’ partnership will be closely watched as it will intrigue the fans. They got a bye in the first round. Placed in the other half of the draw are Zane Navratil and Bhatia, who also received a bye in the first round. Among the other star attractions, Chinese Taipei’s Zoey Wang is set to make her highly anticipated PPA Tour debut on Asian courts. The 23-year-old has won three women’s singles medals, but the gold medal continues to elude her. Wang will compete in all three categories, partnering with Kaitlyn Christian in women’s doubles and Tyson McGuffin in mixed doubles. Asian stars to face American bigshots In the women’s doubles category, plenty of drama is expected to unfold, with Anna Bright and Roos van Reek holding the top seeding. Bright has won 48 PPA Tour medals, including 19 golds. But the real fireworks could come from the other half, where Ting Chieh Wei teams up 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. 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.