National men’s doubles shuttlers Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in action against compatriots Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in the final match of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil on Sunday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: No matter the outcome of today’s Singapore Open quarter-final, Malaysia is assured of at least one semi-final spot as top men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik prepare to face compatriots Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun.
This encounter is a replay of last Sunday’s Malaysian Masters final, which was won by Wei Chong-Kai Wun.
However, for Aaron-Wooi Yik, reaching the quarter-finals represents more than just progression. They have conquered a long-standing mental hurdle by overcoming their main rivals, Japan’s Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi, in yesterday’s second-round clash.
Even sweeter was the chance to avenge the painful defeat they suffered at the Sudirman Cup group stage in Xiamen earlier this month. Malaysia finished second in their group and faced China in the knockout round, where they were eliminated.
Reflecting on yesterday’s match, Aaron-Wooi Yik admitted that the situation almost replayed the same script from Xiamen, despite being close to victory.
Thankfully, they followed the advice of coach Herry Iman Pierngadi to stay patient, and their perseverance paid off with a 21-18, 24-26, 21-12 win.
“To be honest, it’s a huge relief. I think all of us still remember the loss to them (Hoki-Kobayashi) at the Sudirman Cup, especially after we had such a big lead. Today, the second game felt similar, and it brought back those tough memories.
“But being able to beat them now really gives us a boost in confidence and belief in ourselves. You could see in the second game, once we got a little confused, they started picking up points quickly. It wasn’t easy, but we managed to overcome it in the third game, and we’re satisfied with the win,” said Wooi Yik in a post match with BWF.
Despite riding high on morale and motivation, the Asian champions are keeping their feet firmly on the ground ahead of their all-Malaysian quarter-final clash against Wei Chong-Kai Wun.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun echoed similar sentiments, saying that whichever pair plays better on the day deserves to move forward. For both sides, the main focus is ensuring Malaysia’s continued progress in the tournament.
“This is our first time reaching the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open, and I have to admit the wind conditions here are quite strong. But we managed to handle it well, and that gave us a confidence boost,” said Wei Chong.
The world No. 7 pair booked their spot in the last eight after defeating China’s Huan Di and Liu Yang 21-16, 21-16 in the second round.
Meanwhile, another Malaysian men’s doubles pair in action today is world No. 1 duo Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, who secured their place in the quarter-finals after brushing aside compatriots Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi 21-13, 21-11.
They will next face India’s top pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.
