PETALING JAYA: The frustration in the faces of Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik said it all after Malaysia lost 2-3 to Japan in the final Group C tie of the Sudirman Cup.
Aaron-Wooi Yik know that they should have secured the third and the winning point for Malaysia against Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi in the match between former world championships in Xiamen, China, yesterday, but they blew a chance to help Malaysia emerge as the group winners.
The world No. 5 pair Aaron-Wooi Yik started the match strongly and even held a five-point lead in the second game, putting themselves in a strong position to finish as winners. The Malaysia duo also held the lead in the decider but muffed it up.
Hoki-Kobayashi, who had only returned to competitive action this year, showed greater mental resilience to take the match 12-21, 22-20, 23-21 after a gruelling 69-minute battle.
This loss also marked Aaron and Wooi Yik’s ninth defeat to the Japanese pair out of 11 encounters since 2019.
While happy that Malaysia made it to the quarter-finals as the runners-up, Wooi Yik admitted that their match was a close call.
“Both of us played very well. The Japanese were patient and confident, having beaten us a few times before, which gave them the mental edge,” said Wooi Yik in an interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“But we played a good game. We’re disappointed not to deliver the point, but we gave our all, it just wasn’t our day.”
Before Aaron-Wooi Yik, Malaysia had made a strong start, with mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei securing a 21-19, 21-18 victory over Hiroki Midorikawa-Arisa Igarashi. This was followed by a dramatic win in the men’s singles, as Leong Jun Hao stunned world No. 8 Kodai Naraoka 21-8, 13-21, 21-18.
However, Japan quickly closed the gap through Tomoka Miyazaki, who defeated Goh Jin Wei 21-14, 21-17.
The decisive point for Japan came from the world No. 2 women’s doubles pair, Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida, who edged out Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah 18-21, 18-21, 21-18 in an energy-sapping match.
Malaysia have long endured a dry spell in team events against Japan, having suffered several defeats, particularly in the Sudirman Cup.
In 2017, Malaysia, led by Datuk Lee Chong Wei, lost to Japan 2-3 in a tight group match in Gold Coast. Japan also won 3-1 in the quarter-finals.
In 2019, Japan beat Malaysia 3-0 in Nanning, and in 2021, Malaysia fell 1-4 to Japan in Vantaa. Despite the defeat, Malaysia claimed bronze, ending a 12-year medal drought.
