The All England Open has kicked off with Malaysia’s men’s doubles making an immediate impact. World No. 2 Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik opened their campaign with a strong statement, shaking off their early exit at the German Open.
Chia and Wooi Yik defeated Americans Chen Zhi Yi and Presley Smith 21-17, 21-17 at Arena Birmingham. Despite trailing 7-2 early in the second game, the pair stayed composed, with Wooi Yik noting the Americans’ aggressive net play and Aaron crediting their familiarity with the All England conditions for maintaining steady performance.
The excitement extended beyond the top seeds. Young Malaysian duo Aaron Tai and Kang Khai Xing caused one of the biggest upsets of the day, defeating India’s fourth seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Their victory highlights the rising talent in Malaysia’s men’s doubles ranks, earning praise from Aaron Chia for the younger generation stepping up on a major stage.
The Malaysian dominance continued as Wan Arif Junaidi and Yap Roy King edged past Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard in a hard-fought 21-19, 18-21, 21-18 win. Their next-round matchup will be an all-Malaysian clash against Aaron Chia and Wooi Yik, guaranteeing a Malaysian quarter-finalist.
Eighth seeds Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani also advanced with a 21-10, 21-15 victory over Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi and will face Indonesia’s Rian Ardianto and Rahmat Hidayat in the next round. Sixth seeds Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun secured their second-round spot as well, adding to Malaysia’s strong presence in the draw.
With multiple pairs performing at a high level, Malaysia’s men’s doubles squad has set an exciting tone for the All England Open, signaling both current strength and promising talent for the future.
