Dream come true
PETALING JAYA: Shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik raised their hands in sheer happiness and then hugged each other.
It was a special moment for the duo as the former world champions finally lifted their first World Tour title.
World No. 4 Aaron-Wooi Yik were in a league of their own as they crushed Indonesia’s world No. 14 Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana 21-13, 21-17 in the men’s doubles final of the Denmark Open at the Jyske Bank Arena in Odense yesterday.
Aaron-Wooi Yik have never lost to the 2022 All-England champions Shohibul and Bagas in three meetings previously and continued their fine record when it mattered the most.
The Malaysians played aggressively from the beginning and controlled the match until the end.
Wooi Yik was delighted to nail the title with Aaron after coming close on so many occasions.
“Winning our first World Tour title after partnering each other for so long is really special,” said Wooi Yik who partnered Aaron in 2017.
“I will remember this day always.”
Overall, Aaron-Wooi Yik had lost in the final six times in World Tour competitions before getting their act right in Odense.
The former had finished runners-up three times previously this year at the Indian, Indonesian and China Opens but showed great perseverance to keep going and finally received their reward.
Aaron said: “We have really enjoyed our time here. We hope that there will be more to come for us.”
It was a great turnaround from Aaron-Wooi Yik after they had lost to teammates Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in the first round of the Arctic Open last week.
The victory was the first in seven years for Malaysia in the men’s doubles since the feat by Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong in 2016.
Aaron-Wooi Yik will next turn their attentions to the French Open which starts tomorrow in Rennes.
There was however no doubles joy as Lee Zii Jia slumped to a 12-21, 6-21 defeat to Weng Hongyang of China in the men’s singles final.
Besides Hongyang, China also made it a glorious day by proving their might by winning three other titles through Chen Yufei (women’s singles), Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (women’s doubles) and Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (mixed doubles).
RESULTS
Malaysians unless stated
FINAL
Men’s singles: Weng Hong Yang (Chn) bt Lee Zii Jia (Mas) 21-12, 21-6.
Men’s doubles: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (Mas) bt Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana (Ina) 21-13, 21-17.
Women’s singles: Chen Yufei (Chn) bt Carolina Marin (Spa) 21-14, 21-19.
Women’s doubles: Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan (Chn) bt Nami Matsuyama- Chiharu Shida (Jpn) 21-16, 21-13.
Mixed doubles: Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (Chn) bt Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) 16-21, 21-15, 26-24.
SEMI-FINALS
Men’s singles: Lee Zii Jia bt Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hkg) 21-15, 21-17; Weng Hongyang (Chn) bt Shi Yuqi (Chn) 21-19, 21-14.
Men’s doubles: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik bt Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (Den) 16-21, 21-15, 21-15; Shohibul Fikri-Bagas Maulana (Ina) bt Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto (Ina) 21-11, 16-21, 21-12.
Women’s singles: Carolina Marin (Spa) bt P. V. Sindhu (Ind) 21-18, 19-21, 21-7; Chen Yufei (Chn) bt Han Yue (Chn) 21-18, 21-12.
Mixed doubles: Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (Chn) bt Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje (Den) 21-13, 21-19.
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