KUALA LUMPUR: Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik are just a step away from ending Malaysia’s 17-year wait for the men’s doubles crown at the 2024 All England Badminton Championships after confirming their spot in the final early this morning Malaysian time.
The 2022 world champions capitalised on mistakes from Lee Jhe Huei-Yang Po Hsuan from Taiwan to bag a 21-16, 21-15 straight-set win in 36 minutes in the semifinals of the world’s oldest badminton tournament at the Utilita Arena Birmingham.
The victory also meant the Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medalists get to extend their undefeated record against Jhe Huei-Po Hsuan, ranked 15th in the world, to 4-0.
The pair last made it into the All-England final in 2019 before losing to Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan, 21-11, 14-21 and 12-21.
Awaiting Aaron-Wooi Yik in the final are either sixth-seeded Japanese pair Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi or the 2023 All England champions, Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto from Indonesia.
The last time a Malaysian men’s doubles pair won the All England title was in the 2007 edition through Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong who defeated China’s Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng 21-15, 21-18.
Their success back then was only achieved 25 years after Razif-Jailani Sidek’s victory in 1982. –Bernama
