Not there yet: Soh Wooi Yik and Aaron Chia made the last four in both the Malaysian Open and Malaysian Masters. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Is a split the answer to national No. 1 doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik’s woe of still not having won an Open title?
Definitely no, says former top pair Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong.
Both feel that it is not the time nor the season to even think of separating Aaron-Wooi Yik, who have worked their way up to become the country’s No. 1 pair since playing together in 2017.
Technically, they have only played for three years, minus the two years when all players were in cold storage due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Can’t they see eye to eye? Has one lost faith in the other? If not, why are some even thinking of separating them. The players trust each other and to me, that counts the most,” said Kien Keat.
The recent back-to-back Malaysian Open and Masters tournaments would have been a drab affair if not for Aaron-Wooi Yik.
They were the only pair to reach the semi-finals of both tournaments before going down to Japan’s Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi and Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto of Indonesia respectively.
“Aaron-Wooi Yik won a bronze at the Olympic Games last year. I believe in their abilities,” said Kien Keat.
“They have not won a title and did not get to end that wait at home but they have plenty of chances to get it right. When Boon Heong and I started, we hit it off immediately by winning several titles but others take a longer time.”
On paper, Aaron-Wooi Yik were one of the favourites at home but they lacked the finishing power and tactical moves to counter their opponents.
And that’s something Boon Heong hopes that they will brush up on.
“They lost out because they did not use the right tactics against their opponents. You don’t let one pair beat you for a long time, you must learn to be one step ahead of them,” said Boon Heong.
“Other than their lack of tactical ideas, I think Aaron and Wooi Yik are moving in the right direction. They are the best in the country, so why would one even think of a separation?’’
Boon Heong-Kien Keat played for seven and a half years in the national team and another two years under the professional banner.
“I still think Kien Keat and I should have played on, it’s a still regret for me,” he added.
Aaron-Wooi Yik are not playing in this week’s Singapore Open as they are preparing for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham from July 28-Aug 8.
