PETALING JAYA: For men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh and Soh Wooi Yik, nothing drives them more than finally conquering the All-England title after eight appearances.
Twice they have come agonisingly close, only to fall short at the final hurdle, and this year, the hunger to end Malaysia’s long wait for a men’s doubles crown burns brighter than ever.
Their last week at the German Open, where they were stunned by world No. 89 Julien Maio-William Villeger of France in the second round, has only sharpened their focus.
“All-England is always a special tournament for us,” said Aaron. “We’ve been in the final before, but never lifted the trophy. This year, we hope to fulfil that dream.”
For Aaron, the All-England is not just the oldest tournament in badminton but a deeply personal stage where they have twice come close to ending Malaysia’s long wait for a men’s doubles crown, only to fall short in the final.
On their debut in 2019, they stunned the field by marching into the final before losing to Indonesia’s seasoned duo Mohamad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan.
Two years ago, they reached the final again but were denied by another Indonesian pair, Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto.
Wooi Yik echoed his partner’s resolve. “We give our all in training, and on court, we will keep doing our best in every match. Hopefully, the results will follow,” he said.
Seeded second, Aaron-Wooi Yik open their campaign against Americans Chen Zhi Yi-Presley Smith, with a field stacked with other potential hurdles.
Malaysia has seven other men’s doubles pairs in the fray, keeping hopes high for a deep run.
Wan Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King could set up a second round clash with Aaron-Wooi Yik but must first overcome Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard.
Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun will face Taiwan’s Lee Fang-chih-Lee Fang-jen, with a potential meeting against veterans Nur Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong awaiting should the latter defeat Chiu Hsiang-chieh-Wang Chi-lin.
Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing, making their debut, face a daunting test against fourth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty of India.
Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani will play Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai-Hiroki Nishi. Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi are set to face two-time champions Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto, and Choong Hon Jian-Mohd Haikal Nazri tackle Denmark’s Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.
