The All England Open in Birmingham promises excitement and tension for Malaysia’s badminton fans, as Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik pursue a historic men’s doubles crown. The duo, runners-up in 2019 and 2024, open against Americans Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith, but the path to glory quickly grows complicated.
The draw has set up several potential clashes against compatriots. A possible last-16 encounter could see Chia-Soh face Wan Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King if the Malaysian pair defeats Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard. In the quarter-finals, sixth seeds Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun may block their path, followed by a semi-final against eighth seeds Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin. These domestic showdowns mean Malaysia’s best will have to compete against each other for a shot at the title.
Other Malaysian pairs also face tough challenges. Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun open against Taiwan’s Lee Fang Chih-Lee Fang Jen, while Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong aim for a potential second-round all-Malaysian clash by beating Chiu Hsiang Chieh-Wang Chi Lin. Sze Fei-Izzuddin start against Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai-Hiroki Nishi, with a likely second-round meeting against Indonesia’s Muhammad Rian Ardianto-Rahmat Hidayat.
In the top half of the draw, Choong Hon Jian-Haikal Nazri face Denmark’s Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, while veteran duo Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi take on Indonesian fifth seeds Fajar Alfian-Shobihul Fikri. Global powerhouses also await, including India’s fourth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, South Korea’s reigning champions Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae, China’s third seeds Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang, and Indonesia’s seventh seeds Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani.
Malaysia’s men’s singles hopes rest on Leong Jun Hao, who opens against Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto. A last-16 clash with third seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark could follow if he advances. Notably absent from the singles draw is 2021 All England champion Lee Zii Jia, who missed the cut due to his current world ranking.
The last Malaysian men’s doubles title at the All England Open came in 2007, when Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong triumphed. Despite strong performances on the World Tour, a Super 1000 level victory has eluded Malaysian pairs in recent years. For Chia and Soh, the chance to rewrite history comes with the unique challenge of facing their own compatriots in Birmingham, making the journey as electrifying as it is unpredictable.
