KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s own Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik have done it again! This morning in Copenhagen, they won an exciting match against the tough Chinese team, Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi, earning their spot in the semifinals at the World Championships.
Seeded fourth in the championship, Aaron and Wooi Yik secured their place in the semifinals with a scoreline of 21-11, 15-21, and 21-14.
The Chinese pair, who are the sixth seed of the championship, made a comeback in the second set, winning 15-21, pushing the match into a decisive third set.
Drawing from their experience as the fourth-ranked pair in the world, Aaron and Wooi Yik managed to dominate the final set, registering a 21-14 victory over their Chinese opponents.
This win has broken the ongoing losing streak against Yu Chen and Xuan Yi, who previously had the upper hand.
For the record, Aaron and Wooi Yik had lost all their previous three matches against this seventh-ranked world pair.
The Malaysian pair are at their peak form, having recently triumphed over Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions from Taiwan, Lee Yang and Wang Chi Lin in the third round, giving them an extra boost to defend their championship from the previous season.
Defending the crown
As the only remaining hope for Malaysia, Aaron and Wooi Yik are expected to bring home a medal. They are the first Malaysians in history to enter the World Championships as defending champions.
Today, they faced the Chinese sixth seeds in a tough quarterfinal match, but after three rounds of intense competition, they managed to pull off a narrow victory with scores of 21-10, 15-21, and 21-14, ensuring at least a bronze medal for Malaysia.
This victory marks the first time Aaron and Wooi Yik have beaten Liu and Ou in their four encounters, a significant breakthrough for the Malaysian duo.