Shenzhen: Malaysia’s World No. 5 men’s doubles pair – Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, began their 2024 China Masters campaign on a high note, securing a spot in the second round at the Shenzhen Gymnasium on Tuesday.
Highlights of Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik vs. Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Daniel Marthin in the first round of the 2024 China Masters:
Chia/Soh needed only 39 minutes to defeat Indonesia’s Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Daniel Marthin 21-12, 21-18.
While Chia/Soh still have work to do before they confirm their spot at the 2024 BWF World Tour Finals which will be held in Hangzhou, China next month, they expressed hope to maintain their consistent form in upcoming matches.
“We followed our game plan and we are happy with our consistency across both sets. Sometimes the pressure to qualify for the BWF World Tour Finals can be distracting, so we’re just focusing on playing one match at a time. We believe that giving our best will yield results,” said Soh.
Currently, Chia/Soh are ranked ninth in the race to Hangzhou, with only the top eight pairs qualifying for the prestigious event. However, since only two pairs from each country can participate, they must overtake compatriots Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun, who are currently in seventh place, to secure their spot.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub/Tan Wee Kiong also cruised into the second round after defeating Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukhpun/Pakkapon Teeraratsakul 21-19, 21-15.
In mixed doubles, Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei overcame a tough challenge from Taiwan’s Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan, before edging past the Taiwanese pair 21-23, 21-9, 21-12 in 58 minutes.
However, another Malaysian mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat/Shevon Lai fell short in the first round. Despite being seeded fifth and reaching the Kumamoto Masters semifinals last week, they were defeated by China’s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui 9-21, 9-21.
Lai acknowledged that their failure to adapt to the Shenzhen Gymnasium court contributed to their poor performance. “It was our first match, and we didn’t test the court beforehand,” Lai admitted.
In the women’s singles competition, Malaysian player Goh Jin Wei’s poor run continued as she was eliminated in the first round for the sixth consecutive time, losing to Michelle Li of Canada 18-21, 16-21.
