Going down: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani could not match Tan Wee Kiong-Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub’s fast game and lost 9-21, 21-23.
PETALING JAYA: It was a day of upsets in the men’s doubles camp as Malaysia’s top two pairs Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani bowed out of the Japan Masters yesterday.
World No. 6 Aaron-Wooi Yik were stunned in the second round of the tournament when 59th-ranked Chiu Hsiang-chieh-Wang Chi-lin took just 26 minutes to win 21-11, 21-13 against the Malaysians.
The result was a shock all around as Aaron-Wooi Yik are fresh off their victory at the Korean Masters recently, and lessens their chance of qualifying for the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, from Dec 10-15.The pair are currently in 10th spot in the race, and needed to at least make it to the semi-finals in Japan to collect enough points to enter the top eight.
It was also a disappointment for professional men’s doubles pair Sze Fei-Izzuddin, who were handed an upset by compatriots Tan Wee Kiong-Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub as they lost 21-9, 23-21 in the second round.
Fifth seed Sze Fei-Izzuddin had won their previous encounter with their countrymates at the 2023 Kaohsiung Masters, but could not replicate the win this time against No. 40 Wee Kiong-Azriyn, who will meet Hsiang-chieh-Chi-lin in the quarter-finals today.
Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun also ended their run in Japan after failing to get past third seed Indonesians Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto, losing the match 21-17, 19-21, 21-19.
There was also an upset in the mixed doubles category as Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin took down seventh seed Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas.
Although down in the first game, world No. 25 Pang Ron-Su Yin focused on mounting a comeback, winning the match 18-21, 24-22, 21-10. They will now meet Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran in the quarter-finals.
Joining them in the final eight are Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, who took 35 minutes to dismantle China’s Zhou Zhihong-Yang Jiayi as they won 21-19, 21-11 to set up a quarter-final fixture with Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito today.
However, Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien’s journey in Japan came to an end when they lost 13-21, 21-14, 21-16 to Presley Smith-Jennie Gai of the United States.
