KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s men’s doubles aces, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, aspire to have their most successful campaign in their fifth appearance at the 2024 All England Open Badminton Championships.
They started off on the right foot by smoothly advancing past their first-round hurdle earlier today, defeating compatriots Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzudin Rumsani, 21-19, 21-17, in 33 minutes to secure their spot in the second round.
Their next challenge will be the pair from Chinese Taipei, Chang Koh Chi-Poh Li Wei.
For Wooi Yik, this championship holds a sentimental value for him and his partner, given their first appearance in 2019, which saw them successfully reach the finals before conceding to the veteran Indonesian pair, Hendra Setiawan-Mohamad Ahsan.
Despite being crowned the runners-up, their achievement surpassed the expectations of many, especially with Malaysia missing its mainstay, Datuk Lee Chong Wei, who was battling nasal cancer at the time.
“We are excited to win the first match today. Obviously, All England is a special place for us. The first time we played in All England, we managed to go into the finals.
“So we hope to create some memories here again,” said Wooi Yik to BWF in a post-match interview.
Joining them in the second round are the mixed doubles pair, Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, who defeated French duo Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue, 12-21, 21-19, 21-14.
Unfortunately for another men’s doubles duo, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, they missed the opportunity to clinch a victory despite challenging the eighth-seeded Chinese pair, Liu Yu Chen-Ou Xuan Yi, eventually losing 21-15, 21-23, 14-21. – March 12, 2024