Giving their best: Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa-Kyohei Yamashita in action against China’s Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang during their Indian Open final match.
PETALING JAYA: Japan’s shuttlers Hiroki Midorikawa-Kyohei Yamashita are fast emerging as a thorn in the side of Malaysian men’s doubles pairs.
National duo Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik could get a chance to halt the Japanese pair’s impressive run in the Indonesian Masters starting tomorrow at the Istora Senayan.
Coached by Lee Wan Wah, Midorikawa-Yamashita, underlined their threat by stunning world No. 2 Aaron-Wooi Yik 21-10, 13-21, 21-11 in the Indian Open semi-finals at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi on Saturday.
Japan coach Lee Wan Wah. — AFPIt was not the first time that the world No. 22 duo had troubled Malaysian pairs.
Midorikawa-Yamashita had notably eliminated four Malaysian combos – world No. 6 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, world No. 7 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi (No. 17) and Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi (No. 34) in the Japan Masters in KUmamoto last November.
The Japanese pair eventually went down in three games to South Korea’s reigning world champions Seo Seung-jae-Kim Won-ho in the final. The pair also took down home favourites and world No. 3 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty in the second round in India.
Aaron-Wooi Yik could next face a quick re-match against Midorikawa-Yamashita in the second round of the Indonesian tourney.
Men’s doubles assistant coach Chang Kim Wai said his charges need to do improve their rotation on court to do well in the competition after coming second best to their speedy opponents.
“In the match against the Japanese pair in India, Aaron-Wooi Yik were slow in their rotation on court and their quality of shots were not consistent enough,” said Kim Wai. “Their confidence also dropped when the opponents were leading.
“Overall, they were okay but they could not perform well in the semi-finals. Their movement on court needs to be better in Indonesia.”
Aaron-Wooi Yik will first need to get past Denmark’s world No. 28 Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard in their opening match in Indonesia while Midorikawa-Yamashita will be out to get past a pair from the qualifying rounds.
Meanwhile, Malaysia will also be represented in the men’s doubles by Wei Chong-Kai Wun, Sze Fei-Izzuddin, Roy King-Arif, Yew Sin-Ee Yi, Mohd Haikal Nazri-Choong Hon Jian, Tan Wee Kiong-Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub, Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing, Chia Weijie-Lwi Shenghao.
