PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (pic) delivered a timely boost for the Malaysian camp by reaching the semi-finals in the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China, after ousting Indonesia’s world No. 4 duo, Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto yesterday.
The win was especially meaningful for the pair as Aaron had been nursing an injury that hampered his 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 today 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.
