Count on Aaron-Wooi Yik to deliver in Thomas Cup after consistent display
PETALING JAYA: Three-time All-England runners-up Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik continue to show that they are Malaysia’s most reliable pair in major tournaments.
They can certainly be counted on to deliver when playing the role of first doubles in the Thomas Cup Finals in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24-May 3, based on their performances in the All-England.
On Sunday, the world No. 2 pair fell short in their bid to win their first All-England title in their third attempt after losing 21-18, 12-21, 19-21 in 63 minutes to world No. 1 pair Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae of South Korea in Birmingham.
They fought tooth and nail but minor errors at crucial moments saw the Koreans romp home to their second All-England title.
The defeat also extended Malaysia’s wait for the men’s doubles title since Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong won it in 2007, and it denied Aaron-Wooi Yik another opportunity to capture their first Super 1000 title.
It was their eighth runners-up finish in Super 1000 tournaments since 2018.
The titles may not be coming yet, but their performances have certainly gone up a notch.
Aaron, determined to deliver at the Thomas Cup, admitted the defeat was painful but said they would stay positive.
“Of course, losing again is painful but we have learnt a lot. We missed out on winning our first Super 1000 title but it’s not our time yet,” said Aaron.
“There are still plenty of opportunities for us. We will now look forward to other tournaments, including the Thomas Cup.
“Wooi Yik and I still did well. We reached the final and lost to the best pair out there. There’s more for us to learn.”
Wooi Yik is still trying to come to terms with a mistake in the deciding game that may have turned the match around.
With the score at 16-15, he had a clear chance to smash the shuttle but it went wide. The Koreans then caught up and kept their cool to go on and claim their second All-England title.
“I think they had the advantage after we changed courts in the deciding game. We were aware of the situation but could not control it,” said Wooi Yik.
“I made a simple mistake that cost us. Of course, it is quite disappointing but we will have to keep going.
“This time we were closer to achieving our goal.
“We can see that and we hope the experience here will help us get it right in the next big tournament,” added Wooi Yik, who will compete in the Asian Championships from April 7-12 in China next.
FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles: Lin Chun-yi (Tpe) bt Lakhsya Sen (Ind) 21-15, 22-20.
Men’s doubles: Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae (Kor) bt Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (Mas) 18-21, 21-12, 21-19.
Women’s singles: Wang Zhiyi (Chn) bt An Se-young (Kor) 21-15, 21-19.
Women’s doubles: Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning (Chn) bt Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee (Kor) 21-18, 21-12.
Mixed doubles: Ye Hong Wei-Nicole Chan (Tpe) bt Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue (Fra) 21-19, 21-18
