Fantastic feeling: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik celebrate after reaching the Malaysian Open semi-finals.
KUALA LUMPUR: Men’s doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik made it a double joy for the hosts when they joined Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani in the Malaysian Open semi-finals at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on Friday (July 1).
Aaron-Wooi Yik were on fire as they rose to the occasion to upstage third seeds and Indonesian veterans Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan 21-13, 20-22, 21-19 in a thrilling quarter-final to repeat their bronze medal playoff victory over the pair in the Tokyo Olympics last year.
They could have won it in straight games but the Indonesians just refused to give in and forced a rubber game.
Fired up by the awesome home support, both Aaron and Wooi Yik oozed class and did enough to stay one step ahead of the experienced pair for the sensational win.
Aaron-Wooi Yik will play world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi of Japan in the last four on Saturday.
“It is never easy playing with Ahsan-Hendra. They were very patient and started getting easy points from us but we had the home ground advantage and had great support from the fans,” said Aaron.
“We played our own game and stuck to our game plan. Our record against the Japanese pair may not be good but it's the past. We will just focus on the new game at hand in the semi-finals.”
Earlier, Sze Fei-Izzuddin had pulled off a stunner to oust Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi of China 21-11, 22-20 to reach the last four. It was their second win against the pair, having also beaten them en route to winning their first Open title in Germany in March.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin will play Indonesians Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto, who blew away independent pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi with a 21-13, 21-9 win.
Women’s doubles Anna Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing fell in the last eight after suffering a 21-15; 23-21 defeat to Mayu Matsutomo-Wakana Nagahara of Japan.
QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
(Malaysians unless stated)
Men’s singles: Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt Anthony Ginting (Ina) 18-21, 21-17, 21-12; Jonatan Christie (Ina) bt H.S. Prannoy (Ind) 21-18, 21-16; Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) bt Lu Guangzu (Chn) 15-21, 21-10, 21-17; Kento Momota (Jpn) bt Shesar Hiren (Ina) 13-6 rtd.
Men’s doubles: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bt Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) 21-13, 20-22, 21- 19; Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani bt Liu Yuchen-Ou Xuanyi (Chn) 21-11, 22-20; Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi (Jpn) bt Choi Sol-gyu-Kim Won-ho (Kor) 21-14, 21-23, 21-14; Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto (Ina) bt Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi 21-13, 21-9.
Women’s singles: Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) bt Han Yue (Chn) 22-20, 21-12; Wang Zhiyi (Chn) bt Line Kjaersfeldt (Den) 9-21, 21-10, 21-17; Chen Yufei (Chn) bt Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) 14-21, 21-18, 21-18; Tai Tzu-ying (Tpe) bt P.V. Sindhu (Ind) 13-21, 21-15, 21-13.
Women’s doubles: Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia Ramadhanti (Ina) bt Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn) 14-21, 21-13, 21-16; Jeong Na-eun-Kim Hye-jeong (Kor) bt Du Yue-Li Wenmei (Chn) 21-13, 21-15; Mayu Matsutomo-Wakana Nagahara (Jpn) bt Anna Cheong-Teoh Mei Xing 21-15; 23-21; Zheng Shuxian-Zheng Yu (Chn) bt Febby Gani-Ribka Sugiarto (Ina) 21-13, 21-14.
Mixed doubles: Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) bt Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet (Hkg) 21-13, 21-14; Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping (Chn) bt Kim Won-ho-Jeong Na-eun (Kor) 21-8, 21-16; Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) bt Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue (Fra) 25-23, 22-20; Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje (Den) bt Robin Tabeling-Selena Piek (Ned) 21-19, 21-12.
