Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s World No. 6 men’s pair – Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, faced tense moments before securing their spot in the second round of the 2025 Malaysia Open.
The 2022 world champions were pushed to their limits by the World No. 37 American duo, Presley Smith and Chen Zhi Yi. Chia/Soh eventually prevailed in a hard-fought match, winning 21-15, 16-21, 21-10 in 57 minutes at the Axiata Arena.
Highlights of Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik vs. Presley Smith/Chen Zhi Yi in the first round of 2025 Malaysia Open:
The Malaysians started strong, claiming the first set 21-15 with relative ease. However, they lost focus in the second set, committing unforced errors that allowed the Americans to stage a comeback and take the set 21-16. In the decisive third set, Chia/Soh regained control with consistent shots and minimized mistakes, dominating to secure a 21-10 victory.
This was the first-ever encounter between the two pairs.
Chia/Soh will next face Lee Fang Chih/Lee Fang Jen of Taiwan as they vie for a quarterfinal spot on Thursday.
Their win carries significant weight as they are the top hope for ending the Malaysia’s title drought at the Malaysia Open. The last time a Malaysian player won the tournament was in 2018, when Lee Chong Wei clinched the men’s singles title.
In addition to Chia/Soh, Malaysia’s hopes also rest on mixed doubles pairs Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, who both advanced to the second round.
Meanwhile, professional men’s doubles duo Teo Ee Yi and Ong Yew Sin delivered an impressive performance. The world number 24 pair overcame a first-set loss to defeat the fourth-ranked Indonesian duo and 2023 Malaysia Open champions, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, in a thrilling 15-21, 21-17, 21-13 battle that lasted 62 minutes. Teo/Ong will meet Yong Jin/Kang Min Hyuk of Korea next.
However, it wasn’t all good news for Malaysia. The country’s top men’s doubles pair, Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Goh Sze Fei, along with women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, were eliminated in the first round on Tuesday.
