PETALING JAYA: Once partners, now rivals.
Former men’s doubles partners Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun will find themselves on opposite sides of the net today when they battle for the Korean Masters title with their respective new partners at the Yi Sun-sin Gymnasium in Asan.
Wei Chong and Soh Wooi Yik booked their place in the final after coming from behind to beat Japan’s Haruki Kawabe-Kenta Matsukawa 18-21, 22-20, 21-18 in the semi-finals yesterday.
The victory was particularly satisfying for Wei Chong-Wooi Yik after they had lost to the same Japanese pair in the opening round of the Taiwan Open last week.
Kai Wun and his new partner Yap Roy King, meanwhile, advanced without having to take to the court after their Japanese opponents Shuji Sawada-Daigo Tanioka withdrew.
The final will see Wei Chong and Kai Wun face each other for the first time on the international stage after enjoying plenty of success together before being split up in July.
Their separation was part of head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi’s plan to experiment with different combinations in the build-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The new combinations did not enjoy the best of starts. Before their Taiwan Open setback, Wei Chong-Wooi Yik had already suffered a first-round exit at the Japan Open and bowed out in the second round of the China Open.
Kai Wun-Roy King fared no better, bowing out in the opening round of all three tournaments. Their run to the final in Asan is therefore an encouraging sign for both new combinations after a difficult first few weeks together.
For Wooi Yik and Roy King, today’s final also offers the chance to end a lengthy wait for another title.
Wooi Yik last tasted success with Aaron Chia at the Singapore Open in June last year, while Roy King was crowned champion alongside Wan Arif Wan Junaidi at the Macau Open two months later.
However, independent men’s singles shuttler Cheam June Wei’s impressive run at the Korean Masters came to an end after he lost 8-21, 21-16, 12-21 to China’s Zhu Xuanchen in the semi-finals yesterday.
