Malaysia are assured of having at least one representative in the men’s doubles final at the Malaysia Masters after national top pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik stormed into the semi-finals in commanding fashion at the Unifi Arena, Bukit Jalil.
The world No. 2 duo needed just 34 minutes to dispatch China’s Hu Ke Yuan-Lin Xiang Yi 21-15, 21-16 in a composed quarter-final performance that underlined their status as one of the tournament favourites.
It marked Aaron-Wooi Yik’s second consecutive victory over the world No. 34 Chinese pair after previously overcoming the same opponents at the Badminton Asia Championships last month.
The victory now sets up a mouth-watering all-Malaysian semi-final showdown against professional pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani in what promises to be one of the highlights of the tournament.
Earlier in the day, Sze Fei-Izzuddin booked their place in the last four after battling past Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai-Hiroki Nishi in a hard-fought three-game encounter, winning 21-17, 16-21, 21-16.
The semi-final clash guarantees Malaysia a place in Sunday’s final and reignites one of the most exciting rivalries in Malaysian badminton.
On paper, Aaron-Wooi Yik hold the advantage with six wins from eight previous meetings against Sze Fei-Izzuddin. However, their most recent battle ended in victory for the independent pair during the semi-finals of the 2024 Badminton Asia Championships.
With both pairs arriving in strong form and carrying major ambitions on home soil, Malaysian fans can now look forward to a high-intensity battle between two of the nation’s elite men’s doubles combinations.
For Aaron-Wooi Yik, the mission remains clear — continue their impressive consistency and chase another major title in front of home supporters.
For Sze Fei-Izzuddin, it represents another opportunity to prove they belong among the world’s very best after their rapid rise over the past year.
Credit Photo : BAM
