Tougher challenge: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik look set to lose significant ranking points as they finished runners-up in the World Tour Finals last year. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik’s hopes of qualifying for the prestigious season ending World Tour Finals in Hangzhou from Dec 11-15 took a hit after they were ruled out of the China Open.
Wooi Yik has still not returned to full fitness after suffering a toe fracture in the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics against China’s world No. 1 Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang last month.
The injury had forced the 26-year-old and Aaron to withdraw from the Japan, Korean and Hong Kong Opens and the pair had been hoping to return in the China tourney starting on Tuesday.
However, Wooi Yik can only return to full training next week and therefore is not ready to compete with Aaron.
“So far, my recovery is going well. I’m at 70% right now and have received clearance to start normal training next week,” said Wooi Yik.
“I will slowly ease into it as my strength and fitness have naturally reduced over the one month that I have been injured, so I need to regain that.
“We have withdrawn from the tournament.”
This is a huge blow to Aaron and Wooi Yik as they look set to lose significant ranking points as they finished runners-up in the World Tour Super 1000 event last year.
The pair’s task to qualify for the Tour Finals has become harder as they currently lie in 11th spot in the Race to Hangzhou rankings and are likely to lose more ground in the race for the top eight spots.
Only the top eight pairs at the conclusion of the World Tour competitions this year will make the cut for the Finals.
Currently, fellow Malaysians Mohd Haikal Nazri-Choong Hon Jian (No. 6), Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani (No. 7) and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun (No. 8) are all ahead of Aaron-Wooi Yik.
Two pairs from a country can make the cut only if both finish in the top eight.
Aaron-Wooi Yik have qualified for the Finals four times before this in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023.
The pair are now hoping to return at the Arctic Open from Oct 8-13 in Finland.
The other Super 500 and above tournaments left this year before the Finals are the Denmark Open (Oct 15-20), Japan Masters (Nov 12-17) and China Masters (Nov 19-24).
