Aaron-Soh reap rewards for their perseverance

PETALING JAYA: Losing in every World Tour tournament since 2017 must have been frustrating for men doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Sooh Wooi Yik.

But no matter how much they were ridiculed, they never gave up.

And it was their dogged determination over the last six years that saw the former world champions beating Indonesians Bagas Maulana-Shohibul Fikri 21-13, 21-17 in just 33 minutes to lift their first World Tour title in Denmark on Sunday.

It was their fourth win against the Indonesians.

“No more ‘when are you getting your first World Tour title’ questions,” said Aaron.

“Here on, it will be ‘when is your second title coming’.

“That will be the motivation for us as well moving forward. Go for that next one,” he said.

They had finished runners-up three times previously this year at the Indian, Indonesian and China Opens. In 2019, they lost to Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia in the All-England final.

Aaron said another reason that had seen him through with Wooi Yik is their faith in one another.

“We always had the belief in ourselves and trusted our partnership,” said Aaron.

“We never gave up although we’ve waited for five, six years. Now that we have finally did it, we know there will be more to come.”

They join the list of many other Malaysian pairs who had won in Denmark since the tournament’s inception in 1936 – David Choong-Eddy Choong (1953); Ng Boon Bee-Tan Yee Khan (1966, 1967); Ng Boon Bee-Punch Gunalan (1971, 1972); Razif Sidek-Jalani Sidek (1987); Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat (2005); Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong (2007, 2009) and Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (2016).

So now, can Aaron-Wooi Yik go on to winning their second World Tour title in the French Open starting today?

They have a tricky first round match against Leo Rolly-Daniel Marthin of Indonesia.

Their performances will depend on how much the duo have settled down after the euphoria of winning their first World Tour title in Denmark.