Kwon Soon-woo (Chungnam Sports Council) and Hong Sung-chan (Dangjin City Hall), the bronze medalists of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, have made a smooth start in the doubles event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Kwon and Hong defeated Pakistan's Muzammil Murtaza and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi 2-0 (7-5 6-4) in 1 hour and 50 minutes in the first round of the men's doubles held today (the 28th) at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya, Japan.

The two players, who won the men's doubles bronze medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, successfully passed their opening match playing together once again in this tournament.

In the second round, they will compete against Japan's Yusuke Kusuhara and Shunsuke Nakagawa for a spot in the quarterfinals.

The last time South Korean tennis won a gold medal at the Asian Games was in the men's doubles event at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

Kwon and Hong are challenging for the nation's first gold medal in 12 years.

In mixed doubles, Ku Yeon-woo (CJ CheilJedang) and Shin Woobin (Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps) defeated Thailand's Anchisa Chanta and Thanakorn Chanta 2-0 (6-3 6-2).

The duo of Lee Eun-hye (NH Nonghyup Bank) and Shin San-hui (Gyeongsan City Hall) also came from behind to beat Thailand's Peangtarn Plipuech and Pruchya Isaro 2-1 (4-6 6-1 12-10).

In women's doubles, Park So-hyun (Gangwon State University) and Jung Bo-young (Andong City Hall) advanced to the second round without playing after Uzbekistan's Dariya Shubina and Sevil Yuldasheva withdrew before the match.

(Photo provided by the Korea Tennis Association, Yonhap News)