KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian men’s doubles world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik got their campaign in the 2023 Singapore Open badminton championships off to a winning start today.
The national number one ousted China’s He Ji Ting-Zhou Hao Dong 21-16, 21-17 in 37 minutes in the first round of the championships at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
World number four Aaron-Wooi Yik had also beaten the world number 14 China pair at the 2022 Badminton Asia Championships but lost to them in the second meeting at the 2023 Indonesia Masters in January.
The third-seeded Aaron-Wooi Yik will next face either Indonesians Muhammad Shohibul Fikri-Begas Maulana or Taiwan’s Lee Yang-Wang Chi-Lin.
Meanwhile, the up-and-coming men’s doubles combination of Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun enjoyed a walkover from Germany’s Mark Lamsfuss-Marvin Seidil due to a knee injury suffered by Lamsfuss.
The 2023 Malaysia Masters runners-up will take on either China’s Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang or Danes Jeppe Bay-Lasse Molhede in the second round.
However, there was no such luck for the national women’s doubles pair of Vivian Hoo-Lim Chiew Sien after they fell 12-21,14-21 to Japan’s Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota in 41 minutes. - Bernama
