Soh Wooi Yik and Aaron Chia celebrate after winning their quarter-final match. Credit - Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre
PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are back in the groove at the Asian Championships.
The former world champions delivered a timely boost for the Malaysian camp by securing a semi-final berth after ousting Indonesia’s world No. 4 pair Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto in Ningbo, China on Friday (April 10).
The win was especially meaningful for the pair as Aaron had been nursing an injury that hampered their performance during last month’s European campaign, including a disappointing early exit at the All-England.
This time, however, Aaron-Wooi Yik showed they are still among the top pairs in the world, needing only 30 minutes to dismantle the Indonesian pair with a clinical 21-16, 21-11 victory.
Adding a twist to the story, the win came under the guidance of their new coach Herry Iman Pierngadi, who was previously known for his long-time role with Indonesia’s men’s doubles team.
Their semi-final clash on Saturday promises to be an exciting one as they go up against second seeds and defending champions Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang of China.
It will be a repeat of their Olympic semi-final meeting in Paris last August, where Aaron-Wooi Yik fell short in a tense three game battle.
This time, they have the chance to set the record straight and go one step further than their bronze medal finish at last year’s Asian Championships.
