Malaysia’s title holders in the men’s doubles, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, alongside women’s doubles duo Pearly Tan-M Thinaah, have successfully advanced to the quarter-finals of the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) 2026 in Ningbo, China, following hard-fought second-round victories on Thursday.
Aaron and Wooi Yik showcased their resilience at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre, edging past China’s Hu Ke Yuan-Lin Xiang Yi with a narrow 22-20, 21-19 win. The result marked their first triumph over the world No.37 pair, underlining their consistency as one of the tournament’s top contenders.
The world No.2 duo are now set to face South Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk-Ki Dong Ju in the quarter-finals, with both pairs meeting for the first time in what is expected to be another intense showdown. Their progress reflects Malaysia’s continued strength in men’s doubles on the continental stage.
Meanwhile, Pearly and Thinaah were pushed to the limit in a thrilling encounter against Taiwan’s Hsu Yin Hui-Lin Jhih Yun, battling for over an hour before sealing a 21-19, 19-21, 24-22 victory. Their determination once again proved crucial in high-pressure moments.
The win also marked their third consecutive success over the Taiwanese pair, having previously beaten them at the French Open 2025 and Japan Masters 2025, reinforcing their growing dominance in the women’s doubles circuit.
Up next, the Malaysian pair will take on China’s Li Yi Jing-Luo Xu Min, who cruised past Japan’s Rui Hirokami-Sayaka Hobara 21-14, 21-10. The quarter-final clash is expected to test Pearly-Thinaah’s title ambitions further.
In another development, Malaysia’s Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting saw their campaign come to an end after falling 18-21, 14-21 to Japan’s world No.7 pair Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi, highlighting the tough competition faced by the national contingent in this year’s tournament.
