Malaysia’s hopes of ending a long wait for the men’s doubles crown at the All England Open Badminton Championships were dashed after national pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik suffered defeat in the final on Sunday.
Competing at the Utilita Arena Birmingham in Birmingham, the world No. 2 duo lost 21-18, 12-21, 21-19 to defending champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea in a hard-fought encounter.
Aaron and Wooi Yik began strongly, claiming the opening set 21-18 with composed play and solid defence. However, the Korean pair — currently ranked world No. 1 — responded with a more aggressive approach in the second set, dominating the exchanges to level the match 21-12.
The deciding game proved to be a tense battle between both pairs, with momentum shifting several times before Won Ho and Seung Jae edged ahead to secure a narrow 21-19 victory after 63 minutes of play.
The result means Aaron and Wooi Yik once again fell short of capturing their first All England title, having also finished runners-up in the 2019 and 2024 editions of the prestigious tournament.
Malaysia’s last triumph in the Super 1000 event dates back to 2007, when former national duo Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong stunned top-seeded Chinese pair Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng to lift the men’s doubles title.
As champions, Won Ho and Seung Jae walked away with prize money of US$107,300 (RM423,466), while Aaron and Wooi Yik earned US$50,750 (RM200,288) as runners-up.
