NATIONAL men’s doubles shuttler Aaron Chia has received the green light to compete in the Orleans Masters in France, dispelling concerns over a recurring wrist injury.
The Super 300 tournament begins on Tuesday, with Aaron and his partner Soh Wooi Yik confirming their participation following the team managers’ meeting on Monday evening.
Initially, Aaron’s status was uncertain, with coach Herry IP expressing doubts about his condition. However, the second-seeded pair remains in the main draw and will commence their campaign on Wednesday against China’s world No. 58 duo Sun Wen Jun-Zhu Yi Jun.
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Despite their high seeding, Aaron remains cautious, noting the strong field of competitors, many of whom are using this tournament as a warm-up for next week’s prestigious All England Open, New Straits times reported.
“It’s going to be tough, as many top pairs have signed up for the Orleans Masters ahead of the All England, particularly Seung Jae-Won Ho.
“They may be a relatively new partnership, but their strong record—winning the Malaysia Open and finishing runners-up at the India Open—speaks for itself. It won’t be easy,“ Aaron said before departing for Europe last week.
Aaron’s concerns were validated when South Korea’s Seo Seung Jae-Kim Won Ho clinched the German Open title over the weekend, reinforcing their status as one of the key threats in the tournament.
A potential semi-final clash between Aaron-Soh and the in-form Korean pair looms on Saturday.
Nonetheless, Aaron remains optimistic about making a strong return after nearly five weeks away from competition since reaching the semi-finals of the Indonesia Masters.
“Our main goal is definitely the All England, but if we can pull something off at the Orleans Masters, that would be even better,“ he added.
Meanwhile, another Malaysian duo, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, who recently triumphed at the Indonesia Masters, will face Seo Seung Jae-Kim Won Ho in the first round, potentially setting the stage for an all-Malaysian semi-final showdown.
In other developments, Malaysia’s world junior champions Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing have been promoted to the main draw following the withdrawal of France’s Christo and Toma Junior Popov. The young Malaysian pair faces a daunting opening match against top seeds and world No. 3 Wang Chang-Liang Wei Keng of China on Tuesday.
The withdrawal of Toma, who was also the sixth seed in men’s singles, could also benefit Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, as both were drawn in the same quarter.
However, it remains unclear if Toma’s exit was due to injury.
