Living dangerously: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik pulled off a ‘Houdini’ act to survive their first-round clash with Indonesia’s SEA Games champions Pramudya Kusumawardana-Yeremia Rambitan. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
SEA Games champions Pramudya Kusumawardana-Yeremia Rambitan had held Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik by their throats but the world champions managed a ‘Houdini’ act to escape a first-round defeat at the Malaysian Masters.
The Malaysian pair saved two match points to subdue the Indonesians 18-21, 21-10, 21-23 on Tuesday where Aaron was on top of his game to steady the ship.
Wooi Yik, who appeared to be under pressure during the match, said they have to cut down on their unforced errors if they wish to progress in the tournament.
Aaron-Wooi Yik, the world No. 2, face a tricky second-round match against South Korean pair Choi Sol-gyu-Kim Won-ho today.
The Malaysians were beaten by the scratch combination of Won-ho and Na Sung-seung (12-21, 11-21) in the Sudirman Cup semi-finals in Suzhou, China, last week. South Korea won the tie 3-1.
“We have to avoid making unforced errors and giving away easy points. We were not comfortable when they (Pramudya-Yeremia) changed their rhythm but we managed to come back in the third game,” said Wooi Yik.
“The second round is going to be a tough encounter where Won-ho will have the momentum after beating us in the Sudirman Cup. We had never played Won-ho and Sung-Seung before and they caught us off-guard.
“We can’t afford to keep making the same mistakes tomorrow (today). We have a day’s rest and also the time to study our opponents’ game and be prepared for the match.”
The lack of rest showed in Aaron-Wooi Yik’s performance as they had only arrived on Monday and were forced to play the next day.
National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky said the match is like a war and is hopeful that Aaron-Wooi Yik will use the rest yesterday to come good against Sol-gyu-Won-ho.
Malaysia will also be hoping for more representatives in the quarter-finals as independent pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi and the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women’s doubles) will be trying to make it a grand day for Malaysia.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi will meet Taiwan’s Lu Ching-yao-Yang Po-han while Wei Chong-Kai Wun will play Scotland’s Alexander Dunn-Adam Hall of Scotland while Pearly-Thinaah will be up against Japan’s Rena Miyaura-Ayako Sakuramoto today.
