Going all out: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in action against South Korea’s Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae during the Malaysian Open final. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star
BUKIT JALIL: Malaysia’s long wait for a Malaysian Open champion continued yesterday after Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik fell short in the men’s doubles final at Axiata Arena.
Aaron-Wooi Yik were beaten by world No. 1 Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae 15-21, 21-12, 18-21 in a 66-minute battle.
Despite the loss, the Malaysian duo felt their level of play was not far off the world’s best, with only a narrow margin separating the pairs.
Even when trailing by a significant deficit in the third game, Aaron-Wooi Yik fought back, closing the gap before ultimately conceding in a tight finish.
“I think in terms of our performance, we gave our best. The support from the fans gave us the motivation to chase the Korean pair in the third game after we fell behind,” said Aaron.
“Being on home ground gave us belief to fight for every point.
“Looking back at our last match against them at the Singapore Open last year, we are not that far behind. The difference is that in critical moments, they stayed calmer,” said Aaron.
The defeat also extends Aaron-Wooi Yik’s wait for a Super 1000 title, a prize that has eluded them since the 2019 All-England.
They have also fallen short at the Thailand Open (2021, post-Covid), Indonesian Open and China Open (2023), the 2024 All-England, and last year’s China Open.
Despite these setbacks, the duo remain optimistic that success will come with continued hard work.
“It means we have something to improve. We have a goal to go further,” said Wooi Yik.
“I believe something will come to us. We are still consistent in our work and progress, and I hope we can deliver something good for Malaysia,” he added.
The last time a Malaysian player won the Malaysian Open was in 2018, through men’s singles legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei.
Since then, not only have Malaysians failed to lift the title, they also struggled to reach the final until Aaron-Wooi Yik finally broke the drought.
In fact, the last men’s doubles winning combo are Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah at the 2014 edition.
Next, Aaron-Wooi Yik will head to New Delhi for the Indian Open, where they are scheduled to face another South Korean pair, Kim Gi-jung-Kim Sa-rang.
