PETALING JAYA: With two titles in just five tournaments together, Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King are fast becoming a force to be reckoned with on the international stage.
But the world No. 57 pair are keeping their feet firmly on the ground despite grabbing the headlines with their victory over former world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi at the Japan Masters.
Aaron-Roy King showed their fighting spirit by coming from a game down to secure a hard-fought 16-21, 21-13, 21-15 victory in 55 minutes at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium on Sunday (Nov 15).
For Roy King, the victory was particularly satisfying as he had lost all three previous meetings against the Japanese pair when he partnered Wan Arif Wan Junaidi.
Their last encounter was at the Asian Team Championships in Qingdao in February.
But despite finally getting the better of Hoki-Kobayashi, Roy King was quick to play down their success, insisting that he and Aaron still have plenty to learn before they can consistently challenge the world's best.
"I think there are still many things we need to learn. We want to take things slowly, step by step," he told Badminton Images after the match.
The victory in Kumamoto marked Aaron-Roy King's second title since joining forces, following their success at the Arctic Open last month.
