PETALING JAYA: National shuttlers Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King needed a second take to get their Spider-Man pose right but on court in Kumamoto, they were already in sync.
In a series of courtside photos shared by the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the plan was a thumbs-up until one of them switched to the superhero’s web-shooting gesture.
A side glance and a laugh later, both were doing it.
There is more riding on today’s men’s doubles semi-final, but the pair have given themselves plenty to smile about. Five tournaments into their partnership, they are Malaysia’s last players standing at the Japan Masters and one win away from their second final together.
The world No. 57 Malaysians took just 28 minutes to beat world No. 15 Lee Jhe-huei-Yang Po-hsuan 21-16, 21-12 of Taiwan in yesterday’s quarter-finals at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
They next face Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard, who beat Japan’s Hiroki Okamura-Kyohei Yamashita 21-14, 21-14.
For Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei, consistency has been the pair’s biggest plus since they teamed up last month.
“Of the new combinations the coaches have put together, this pair have been quite consistent,” said the former world No. 1.
“They’re still a young pair. I hope they can keep challenging the senior pairs so that they can all improve together.”
Kumamoto is Aaron-Roy King’s third semi-final in five outings. They won their debut at the Arctic Open and reached the last four at the Hylo Open, where they fell to eventual champions Christian Kjaer-Rasmus Kjaer.
With none of the eight seeded pairs left in Japan, the Malaysians have a chance to add another title.
Defending champions and top seeds Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae lost to fellow South Koreans Jin Yong-Jo Song-hyun in the second round.
However, Aaron-Roy King have good reason to be wary of the Danes, who have made a habit of knocking out Malaysians this week.
Lundgaard-Vestergaard beat Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong in the opening round and eighth seeds Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in the second.
It is the pairs’ first meeting, though both Malaysians know the Danes from previous partnerships. Roy King and Wan Arif Wan Junaidi beat them at the All-England before losing to them in the Malaysian Masters semi-finals.
Meanwhile, Aaron and Kang Khai Xing lost to them in the Swiss Open quarter-finals.
Japan’s Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi face China’s Wang Chang-Xie Haonan in the other semi-final.
