History will be made at Malaysia Masters, regardless of who wins final

KUALA LUMPUR — Regardless of who emerges victorious in the men’s doubles final of the Malaysia Masters tomorrow, it will be a historic moment for Malaysian badminton.

That’s because the last time a home men’s pair won on local soil — in either the Super Series or World Tour era — was more than a decade ago.

But that long wait will now end after two Malaysian duos — Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun — stormed into the final at the Axiata Arena in style today.

In the first semi-final, fifth seeds Wei Chong and Kai Wun stunned former world champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan 21-12, 21-14.

This was followed by a dramatic 21-19, 17-21, 21-15 victory by world No. 3 Aaron and Wooi Yik over top-ranked Danes Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, sending the home crowd into raptures.

While Aaron and Wooi Yik are chasing a third consecutive title — following wins at the Asian Championships last month and the Thailand Open last week — they were quick to shift the focus away from personal glory.

“We want to win, of course, but we don’t want to think too much about it,” said Aaron.
“The important thing is that the title is already secured for Malaysia. It’s a collective win for the men’s doubles department.”

Aaron went on to add that they intend to treat the final as an extension of training.

“We’ve trained with each other every day, so we’ll treat it like a training match. We just want to put on a good show for the fans. Win or lose, that’s secondary — what matters is playing a good game,” said the 2022 world champion.

The all-Malaysian final also marks a major breakthrough for the men’s doubles camp, showing depth beyond just the top-ranked pair.

Aaron admitted that the back-to-back tournaments had been physically and mentally demanding, but both he and Wooi Yik were focused on recovery and staying in the moment.

With the Malaysia Masters crown already assured, tomorrow’s final will be a celebration of Malaysia’s men’s doubles resurgence — a rare moment where national pride is guaranteed, no matter the scoreline.

The last Malaysian men’s doubles to win the Malaysia Masters was Goh V Shem and Lim Khim Wah back in 2013. It was also them who clinched the Malaysia Open crown a year later. – May 24, 2025