Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s national men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik continued their impressive run this season when they won the Singapore Open today. The Malaysians came back from a set down to beat fifth seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea 15-21, 21-18, 21-19 in a 65-minute thriller at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, marking their third title this year following their victories at the Badminton Asia Championships in April and the Thailand Open in May.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Wooi Yik credited their coach, Herry Iman Pierngadi, for playing a major role in their recent performances, particularly in refining their attacking gameplay. “Their condition was very good. After the first set, I knew we needed to increase our speed. So we just pushed very hard for every point,” Wooi Yik told reporters. He emphasized the importance of their coach’s strategic insights in overcoming inconsistencies in their gameplay. Despite their success, Wooi Yik expressed that there is still a long journey ahead, with significant goals yet to be achieved this year.

Aaron echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the motivational influence of their coach in both matches and training sessions. “He’s only been with us for three months, so we’re still learning from him. I think we still need time, but overall, we’ve improved. He gives us a lot of confidence during training. He doesn’t put a lot of pressure on us. He also reminds us to be happy every day,” Aaron said.

Looking ahead, the duo’s next focus will be the Indonesia Open, scheduled for June 3 to 8 at Istora Senayan, Jakarta. There, they are slated to face Denmark’s Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard, whom they defeated in the opening round in Singapore.

Historically, the last time Malaysia secured a win in Singapore was in 2018 through mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai Jemie, while the last Malaysian men’s doubles victory was achieved by Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari in 2008.