National men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik saw their hopes of lifting the Malaysia Open 2026 title dashed today, extending the country’s 12-year wait for a men’s doubles champion at the tournament.
In the final at a packed Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, the second-seeded Malaysians were defeated by top seeds and defending champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea.
The world number two pair made a slow start and lost the opening game 15-21 after committing several unforced errors. However, the 2022 world champions bounced back strongly in the second set, showing greater control and precision to race to an 18-11 lead before forcing a decider with a convincing 21-12 win.
The momentum swung again in the final game as the Koreans surged to an 11-4 advantage. Aaron-Wooi Yik mounted a late comeback, narrowing the gap to 18-17, but Kim and Seo held their nerve to seal the match 21-18 and successfully defend their title after one hour and six minutes of play.
The defeat means Malaysia’s search for a home men’s doubles champion continues, with the last local triumph still belonging to Goh V Shem and Lim Khim Wah in 2014.
It also marked Aaron-Wooi Yik’s seventh loss in a Super 1000 final, prolonging their wait for a title at this level.
As champions, Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae took home prize money of USD107,500 (approximately RM439,232), while Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik earned USD50,750 (about RM207,745).
