PETALING JAYA: The stage is set for fireworks in the Japan and China Opens – and Malaysia’s shuttlers must be ready to light it up.

With the World Championships just around the corner from Aug 25-31 in Paris, the upcoming Opens are shaping up to be more than just warm-up tournaments but battlegrounds where the world’s best will be out to stake their claims.

National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky wants his charges to treat these two tournaments as serious tests of form and readiness.

The Japan tourney will start next Tuesday in Tokyo while the China Open will be from July 22-27 in Changzhou.

“The top players will all be playing in Japan and China, but it would not just be about easing into world meet. Everyone will be going all out to win,” said Rexy after a training session at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara yesterday.

“Before Paris, we can gauge the form and readiness of the top players in these two events. It will be better for our players to perform well and maintain their momentum.

“Our players have been training well the past month and are feeling positive. They are ready for the tournaments.”

In Japan, Malaysia’s men’s doubles title contenders are Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun.

World No. 2 Aaron-Wooi Yik are out to continue their strong form after capturing the Asian Championships, Thailand Open and Singapore Open titles since April.

They will open their campaign against another Malaysian pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi.

Sze Fei-Izzuddin, who are the defending champions, will be hungry for another memorable showing and will play Canada’s Kevin Lee-Ty Alexander in the first round.

Malaysian Masters champions and world No. 7 Wei Chong-Kai Wun will also want to make their marks and have a tricky opening task against teammates and world No. 23 Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi.

Meanwhile, the other Malaysian men’s doubles pair in the fray are Tan Wee Kiong-Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub, who will face French brothers Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov.

In the women’s doubles, Malaysia’s challenge will be spearheaded by world No. 3 Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, who will take on world No. 16 Bulgarian sisters Gabriela Stoeva-Stefani Stoeva.

The others are Teoh Mei Xing-Go Pei Kee and Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting have tough first round matches against world No. 4 Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee and world No. 6 homesters Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi respectively.

In the mixed doubles, world No. 4 Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei will play Canada’s Kevin Lee-Josephine Wu while Thailand’s Ruttanapak Oupthong-Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat stand in the way of world No. 6 Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie.

Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin will face Presley Smith-Jennie Gai while Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien have to get past home pair Yuichi Shimogami-Sayaka Hobara.