Stern test: Malaysia’s Aaron Chia (left) and Soh Wooi Yik have drawn darkhorses Akira Koga-Taichi Saito of Japan in the first round of the home Open. — AP
PETALING JAYA: National men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have been handed a tricky start in the upcoming Malaysian Open against Japan’s Akira Koga-Taichi Saito.
The 22nd ranked pair could be a potential banana skin for Aaron-Wooi Yik, who will be looking to impress in front of the home fans in the Open from June 28 to July 3.
The Malaysian pair have been placed in the lower half of the draw along with another Japanese pair and reigning world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi, China’s He Jiting-Zhao Haodong, Indonesia’s Asian champions Pramudya Kusumawardana-Yeremia Rambitan and their compatriots, world No. 3 Mohd Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan.
Aaron-Wooi Yik could face the third-ranked Indonesians or the Chinese pair in the quarter-finals.
But they need to get past Koga-Saito and South Korea’s Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae or Singapore’s Terry Hee-Loh Kean Hean in the second round.
Meanwhile, compatriots Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi (No. 10) and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani (No. 12) have both been placed in the top half of the draw.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi will open their campaign against Christo Popov-Toma Junior Popov of France.
A win will likely pit them against Taiwan’s Tokyo Olympics gold medallists Lee Yang-Wang Chi-lin in the next round.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin should win their opening match against Japan’s Keiichiro Matsui-Yoshinori Takeuchi.
They could take on India’s eighth ranked Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty in a repeat of the first doubles match in the Thomas Cup quarter-final in Bangkok last month.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin will be eyeing revenge against the Indian pair after coming out second best in that match.
The others to keep an eye on in the top half of the draw are Indonesia’s world No. 1 Marcus Fernaldi-Kevin Sanjaya and Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto (No. 6).
The other Malaysian pairs in the fray in the home tournament are Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and independent pairs Goh V Shem-Low Juan Shen and Nur Azriyn Ayub-Lim Khim Wah.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun and V Shem-Juan Shen have tough tasks in the first round as they have been pitted against Rankireddy-Shetty and Alfian-Ardianto.
Azriyn Ayub-Khim Wah face Thailand’s Supak Jomkoh-Kittinupong Kedren in their opening match.
