Malaysian duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik storm into the All England final, aiming to end a 19-year title drought after a dominant semi-final victory
AARON Chia and Soh Wooi Yik delivered a commanding performance to reach the men’s doubles final at the All England Badminton Championships.
The world number two Malaysians overpowered China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi 21-11, 21-19 in a 41-minute semi-final clash in Birmingham.
They are now one step away from ending Malaysia’s 19-year wait for the prestigious title.
The first game was tightly contested until 7-7, before the Malaysian pair unleashed a barrage of smashes to pull away.
They sealed the opening game in just 15 minutes with a dominant display of speed and power.
The second game proved more challenging, with unforced errors allowing the Chinese pair to build an 18-13 lead.
With their backs against the wall, Aaron and Soh staged a remarkable comeback, reeling off five consecutive points to level at 18-18.
Although the Chinese duo briefly nudged ahead 19-18, the Malaysians found another gear to win the next three points and secure victory.
This marks their third All England final appearance, having finished as runners-up in both 2019 and 2024.
They will face the winners of the other semi-final between South Korea’s Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae and Indonesia’s Raymond Indra-Nikolaus Joaquin.
The last Malaysian pair to win the men’s doubles title at the world’s oldest badminton tournament were Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong in 2007.
