[UPDATED] Malaysia Open: Aaron-Wooi Yik push on to semis

KUALA LUMPUR – The final match on the fourth day of the Malaysia Open ended on a high note as national top men’s doubles duo Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik defeated veterans Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan 21-13, 20-22, 21-19.

The crowd in the Axiata Arena cheered on the sixth-ranked national pair as they came from behind to win the first set in 14 minutes.  

The second set went back-and-forth, but three-time world champions Ahsan-Setiawan showed their experience and forced a third set showdown. 

In the final set, it was Aaron-Wooi Yik that prevailed with the entire arena cheering them on to cement the win. 

After the match, Wooi Yik did not speak to reporters as he was exhausted. 

Aaron meanwhile said the game was very close, and they could have won in the second set if not for mistakes.  

“We were leading in the second set, but we made mistakes that gave them easy points from us. 

“But we’re happy that we could win in front of the home crowd. Playing here is definitely an advantage for us,” he said. 

Facing Hoki-Kobayashi in the semi-finals, Aaron added that their previous meetings do not determine tomorrow’s result.

The Japanese pair have won four of the previous six meetings between them.

“The head-to-head statistics is just a result, every game is a new start and a chance to win. 

“We will just focus on our strategy and think about our advantage for the next game,” he added.

They will play second seed Japanese team Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi tomorrow in the semi-finals.

Earlier, national men’s doubles pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi crashed out of the Malaysia Open after losing to Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto 21-13, 21-9 in the quarter-finals today. 

Playing the second to last match of the night, 10th seed Ong-Teo started off slow in the first set, failing to catch up with the Indonesians. 

In the second set, seventh-ranked Alfian-Ardianto had a commanding lead and sealed the win in 33 minutes in front of a packed Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil. 

They will play Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin in the semi-finals tomorrow after the national pair defeated China’s Liu Yu Chen-Ou Xuan Yi today. — The Vibes, July1, 2022