Chiharu Shida may not have had the best performances playing in Malaysia of late, but the Japanese women doubles star always remains a fan favourite when she’s in action here.
Shida and her partner Arisa Igarashi crashed out in the first round of the Malaysia Masters after losing to compatriots Sayaka Hirota-Ayako Sakuramoto, but the 29-year-old said the affection of the fans never faded.
Speaking exclusively to Stadium Astro, Shida said: “In Malaysia, there are always so many fans supporting us, and I’m really grateful for that. To be honest, I can’t exactly say this tournament has always been one of our best in terms of results, because there have been many times when we lost quite early.”
“But despite that, the fans here continue to support us no matter what, and I truly feel their warmth and encouragement,” she said.
Since finishing as runners-up at the 2022 Malaysia Masters with her previous partner Nami Matsuyama, Shida has struggled to perform here.
Her best result playing in Kuala Lumpur since 2022 was going as far as the quarter-finals of the 2025 Malaysia Open last year.
This year, she lost in the opening round of the Malaysia Open and has failed to get past the second round of any competitions with Igarashi.
But Shida remains committed to making her new partnership work.
“I've had quite a frustrating run of results since the start of this year, and I’ve also been dealing with injuries myself, so it has been a difficult period. But I think it’s really about taking things one step at a time and continuing to build gradually.
“Even now, after making this new start, we are still facing challenges, but we believe we can make it work and want to continue supporting each other moving forward,” she added.
