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As the Malaysia Open Super Series starts today, Indonesian shuttlers continue their quest to end the title drought in badminton’s top tournaments.

No Indonesian shuttlers qualified for quarterfinals of the first tournament of the season, the Korea Open, last week in Seoul, which extended the country’s title drought to eight consecutive Super Series since mixed doubles pair Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir won the Singapore Open in June last year.

Doubles coach Aryono Miranat said on Tuesday that Indonesian shuttlers, especially men’s and women’s doubles, have a good chance of ending the slump in Kuala Lumpur.

“Several top Chinese men’s and women’s doubles are absent from this tournament. That will mean the titles are wide open to grab,” he said.

“[Without the Chinese players] it still won’t be an easy tournament because Japan and [South] Korea doubles are also hard to beat.

“But, if our shuttlers improve their games and work harder, they have a good chance of winning titles in Malaysia.”

Notable Chinese absentees in the women’s doubles are Korea Open winners Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei, and world No. 1 pair Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang.

It’s been almost four years since an Indonesia won a Super Series women’s doubles title. The most recent was the 2008 Indonesia Open, when Vita Marissa and Liliyana prevailed at home.

There are three women’s doubles combinations that will try to end Indonesia’s drought at Putra Stadium, Kuala Lumpur.

Sixth-seeded Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari will open against Eom Hye-won and Jang Ye-na of South Korea, while 2011 Southeast Asian Games champions Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Anneke Feinya Agustine have a first round match against qualifiers.

Vita, who now pairs with Nadya Melati, will have a tough first round against No. 5 seeds Cheng Wen-hsing and Chien Yu-chin of Taiwan.

In the men’s doubles, the world’s top three — Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng (China), Lee Yong-dae and Jung Jae-sung (South Korea), and Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen (Denmark) — are also skipping the $400,000 tournament.

This would be a good opportunity for Indonesia’s top pair, Mohammad Ahsan and Bona Septano, to get their career first Super Series title.

The No. 5 seeds will play against qualifiers in the first round, but they were drawn in the same half as second-seeded Ko Sung-hyun and Yoo Yeon-seong of South Korea and host favorites Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong.

Last week in Seoul, Ahsan and Bona were ousted early, losing to unseeded Japan pair Naoki Kawamae and Shoji Sato in the first round.

“I know that we have a big chance to win the title here. But, after the poor result in Korea, we want to be realistic with our chances. I think a semifinal spot would be a good achievement for now,” Bona said.

Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan, who won the Malaysia Open in 2008, will start their campaign against Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari.