Malaysia men’s doubles aces Aaron Chia–Soh Wooi Yik emerged as Malaysia’s sole remaining representatives at the PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2026 after powering into the semi-finals at the Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur.
The world No. 2 pair, seeded second in the Super 1000 tournament, needed just 34 minutes to overcome Indonesia’s Sabar Karyaman Gutama–Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani in the quarter-finals, sealing a convincing 21-19, 21-10 victory that sent home fans into raptures.
After edging a tight opening game, Aaron and Wooi Yik took full control in the second set, racing to an emphatic 11-2 lead before closing out the match in dominant fashion. The win carried extra significance as it marked their first-ever victory over the world No. 8 Indonesian pair, having previously suffered three consecutive defeats in past encounters.
The result also saw the 2022 world champions reach the Malaysia Open semi-finals for the first time since 2022, keeping alive the nation’s hopes in the prestigious home tournament.
Standing between Aaron and Wooi Yik and a place in the final is yet another Indonesian hurdle — Fajar Alfian–Muhammad Shohibul Fikri. The sixth seeds earlier stunned India’s third-seeded duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy–Chirag Shetty with a composed 21-10, 23-21 victory to book their semi-final berth.
Credit Photo : BERNAMA
