KUALA LUMPUR – The top national doubles pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, crashed out of the Malaysia Open 1000 series after losing to the lower-ranked Chinese Taipei pair, Fang Chih Lee and Fang Jen Lee, at the Axiata Arena today.
Appearing to lack their usual killer instinct, Aaron and Wooi Yik lost 16-21, 18-21, as their world number 27 opponents returned everything the Malaysians smashed at them.
After losing the first game fairly easily, the Malaysians attempted a comeback in the second game, but despite the support from home fans, they eventually succumbed after 47 minutes.
Wooi Yik admitted that the reason for the shocking defeat was their lack of patience and mentality when attempting to finish off their opponents’ shots.
“We were too eager and kept smashing excessively in an attempt to kill the rallies. That was the wrong approach, and it ultimately led to our loss,” Wooi Yik explained in a post-match press conference.
“We did better in the second set, but it was too late due to the mistakes we made earlier. They had the upper hand because they were more composed and calmer, while we kept giving away points.”
“We are disappointed and sad to have let our home fans down with our performance and silly mistakes,” he added.
Aaron Chia, on the other hand, expressed his frustration at not being able to secure a trophy for their coach, Tan Bin Shen, as this would be his final assignment before joining the Hong Kong Badminton Association.
“So far, we don’t have any injuries, but we are disappointed that we couldn’t win this tournament as a farewell gift for coach Bin Shen. It’s sad because we had planned to add this victory to our list of achievements after winning the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, all for coach Bin Shen,” Aaron said.
“We wish coach Bin Shen the best and hope he has a fruitful career ahead,” he added.
Meanwhile, Aaron-Wooi Yik’s compatriots, Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun, have planned to give their all in this edition for Bin Shen, as this will be his final assignment before he joins the Hong Kong Badminton Association.
The world number 14 pair’s response came after their commanding win, where they needed only 31 minutes to claim a 21-15, 21-13 victory over Chinese Taipei’s world number 10, Lee Jhe-huei, and Yang Po-hsuan, securing a spot in the quarter-finals.
The pair will next play either Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard or the French duo of Toma Junior Popov and Christo Popov for a place in the last four.
“This is coach Bin Shen’s last assignment, and we want to give our best and progress as far as we can in this tournament. He has been like a father figure to us and has brought us this far since 2020.
“We performed better in terms of service and receiving, and that was key to our win. Overall, we are happy with our performance today,” said the pair during a post-match press conference.
Wei Chong and Kai Wun had lost to Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Rian Ardianto in the opening round of last year’s Malaysian Open.
Meanwhile, mixed doubles shuttler Shevon Lai Jemie did not let her fever stop her from giving her best alongside partner Goh Soon Huat, as they reached the quarter-finals.
The independent pair, Soon Huat and Shevon, lived up to their reputation as fourth seeds when they secured a straightforward 21-10, 21-17 win over India’s world number 34, Sathish Kumar Karunakaran, and Aadya Variyath.
“It was easy in the first game, but in the second, our opponents managed to read our game,” said Soon Huat.
“She (Shevon) was not in her best condition as she was still recovering from a fever, so she couldn’t play in long rallies.
“Hence, I had to think about the strategies we could use and try to cover more of the court.”
Shevon believes their experience was key to their success in the match.
“In the second game, our opponents managed to find the rhythm and momentum of our game and gave us a tough time on court,” said Shevon.
“They were leading for quite a while.
“I think it was our experience that got us through. We didn’t put ourselves under pressure and were very firm with what we needed to do,” she added.
They will play China’s Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi in the quarter-finals tomorrow.
Aside from Wei Chong-Kai and Soon Huat-Shevon, the top national mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee We cruised into the quarter-finals with a dominant 21-8, 21-14 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Lu Ming Che and Hung En Tzu earlier today. The pair will face Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito tomorrow.
The seasoned men’s doubles pair Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi also qualified for the next round, defeating South Korea’s Jin Yong and Kang Min Hyuk 23-21, 16-21, 21-18. Yew Sin and Ee Yi will meet either India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty or their compatriots Tan Wee Kiong and Nur Azriyn Ayub in the next round. – January 9, 2025