Vantaa, Finland — Malaysia’s men’s doubles pairs delivered outstanding performances at the 2025 Arctic Open, with both Choong Hon Jian/Muhammad Haikal and Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik advancing to the semi-finals after thrilling quarter-final battles.
Vantaa, Finland — Malaysia’s men’s doubles pairs delivered outstanding performances at the 2025 Arctic Open, with both Choong Hon Jian/Muhammad Haikal and Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik advancing to the semi-finals after thrilling quarter-final battles.
World No. 47 duo Choong Hon Jian and Muhammad Haikal pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, stunning world No. 4 and third seeds Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark in straight games, 23–21, 21–15, after 39 minutes of fierce rallies.
The Malaysian pair showed tremendous grit in the first game, coming back from a 9–15 deficit to level the score at 14–15 before eventually sealing it 23–21 under heavy pressure. Riding that momentum, they dominated the second game with sharp attacking play to secure a 21–15 win and a spot in the semi-finals — their second of the season following their Macau Open run in August.
They will next face England’s Ben Lane/Sean Vendy, who defeated China’s Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi 21–16, 21–12 in their quarter-final encounter.
Meanwhile, top seeds Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik survived a tough three-set battle against Liu Kuang Heng/Yang Po Han of Chinese Taipei, winning 21–19, 19–21, 21–17. The reigning world champions will now take on Thailand’s Kittinupong Kedren/Dechapol Puavaranukroh in the semi-finals. The Thai pair scored a major upset by defeating China’s No. 4 seeds Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang 19–21, 21–14, 21–19.
In women’s doubles, Malaysia’s Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan also advanced to the semi-finals after dispatching France’s Margot Lambert/Camille Pognante 21–11, 21–19. The world No. 2 Malaysians will meet Taiwan’s Hsieh Pei Shan/Hung En-Tzu in the next round.
Japan’s Arisa Igarashi/Chiharu Shida reached their first semi-final as a pair by overcoming Taiwan’s Hsu Ya Ching/Sung Yu-Hsuan 21–18, 21–19. They will face compatriots Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi, who beat Hong Kong’s Yeung Nga Ting/Yeung Pui Lam 19–21, 21–18, 21–9, setting up an all-Japanese showdown.
In men’s singles, top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand will play Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke, while No. 2 seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei meets France’s Arnaud Merkle.
The women’s singles semi-finals feature Akane Yamaguchi of Japan versus Anmol Kharb of India, and an all-Thai clash between Ratchanok Intanon and Busanan Ongbamrungphan.
In mixed doubles, both semi-finals will see China vs. Thailand battles — with top seeds Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin facing Pakkapon Teeraratsakul/Sapsiree Taerattanachai, and second seeds Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping taking on Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Supissara Paewsampran.
Malaysia’s strong presence across events highlights its growing depth and consistency in the global badminton scene — a promising sign as the season heads toward its final stretch.
