Odense, Denmark: Fresh from winning the Arctic Open, Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King carried their momentum into the 2026 Denmark Open with a hard-fought comeback victory that sets up a high-profile all-Malaysian showdown against Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
The new Malaysian combination recovered from a slow start to defeat South Korea’s Kang Min Hyuk and Lee Jongmin 13-21, 21-18, 21-19 in 57 minutes at the SJF Bank Arena, earning a place in the men’s doubles round of 16 at the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament.
Watch highlights of Aaron Tai/Yap Roy King vs. Kang Min Hyuk-Lee Jongmin in the 2026 Denmark Open first round:
Source: BadminFix
The reward is an immediate test against Malaysia’s leading pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who reached the second round by beating Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi 21-19, 14-21, 21-11.
Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King Refuse to Be Intimidated
Despite the experience and pedigree of their next opponents, Aaron Tai said he and Yap have no reason to approach the match with fear.
“There is nothing to be afraid of. We just need to play as well as possible,” Aaron told the BWF.
The match will pit the newly crowned Arctic Open champions against a pair who won the Denmark Open in 2023 and remain one of Malaysia’s most established men’s doubles combinations.
For Aaron and Yap, however, the encounter represents another opportunity to measure how quickly their partnership is developing after an impressive start to their time together.
Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King Recover After Difficult Opening Game
The Malaysians were made to work much harder in Odense than during their title run in Finland, where they completed the Arctic Open without dropping a game.
Kang Min Hyuk and Lee Jongmin controlled the opening game 21-13 before Aaron and Yap responded in the second, edging it 21-18 to force a decider.
The third game remained close, but the Malaysians held their nerve to take it 21-19 and complete the comeback.
Yap explained that the pair had needed time to adjust to the playing conditions after not having an opportunity to test the court before the match.
“We didn’t get the chance to test the court before the match, so in the first game both of us felt a little uncomfortable. But in the second game, we slowly found our rhythm again,” Yap said.
He also rejected the suggestion that fatigue from their Arctic Open title run was responsible for their early difficulties, instead pointing to the wind conditions on court as something they had to manage.
All-Malaysian Clash Guarantees Quarterfinalist
Aaron and Yap, currently ranked world No. 116 as a pair, now face their biggest test since being brought together.
Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik came through their own three-game battle against former world champions Hoki and Kobayashi, taking the first game 21-19 before losing the second 14-21 and then pulling away 21-11 in the decider.
The result guarantees Malaysia at least one men’s doubles quarterfinalist from that section of the draw.
Malaysia is also guaranteed representation from another section, with Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin due to face fellow Malaysians Chia Weijie and Teo Ee Yi in the round of 16.
Arctic Open Champions Continue Rapid Rise
The Denmark Open comes only days after Aaron and Yap captured the 2026 Arctic Open Super 500 title in Vantaa, Finland.
They won every match there in straight games, including a 21-19, 21-19 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Lai Po Yu and Tsai Fu Cheng in the final.
Their Denmark Open comeback against Kang and Lee therefore offered a different kind of test, requiring the Malaysians to recover after dropping the opening game and adjust during the match.
Another victory over Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik would represent the biggest result yet for the new combination.
Top Seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn Eliminated
Elsewhere in the Denmark Open men’s singles draw, Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke produced one of the biggest results of the opening round by eliminating top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand.
Kunlavut won the opening game 21-13, but Gemke fought back to take the next two 21-17, 21-12.
Gemke will next face Hong Kong China’s Ng Ka Long Angus, who defeated Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 21-12, 20-22, 21-15.
Fifth seed Anders Antonsen also survived a three-game test, recovering from the loss of the opening game to defeat Lee Cheuk Yiu 16-21, 21-11, 21-18.
Antonsen will next meet Jason Gunawan, who beat Kenta Nishimoto 21-16, 21-16.
Christo Popov, Alwi Farhan and Jonatan Christie Advance
Second seed Christo Popov of France needed three games to overcome China’s Weng Hong Yang 21-13, 19-21, 21-13.
His next opponent will be Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul, who came from behind to beat Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen 19-21, 21-17, 21-16.
Indonesia will have an all-Indonesian second-round match after Alwi Farhan defeated India’s Ayush Shetty 21-11, 13-21, 21-10 and fourth seed Jonatan Christie beat Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi 21-13, 21-14.
An Se Young Advances as Malaysian Women’s Singles Players Exit
Women’s singles top seed An Se Young began her campaign with a comfortable 21-13, 21-11 victory over Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova.
The South Korean will next face Denmark’s Line Christophersen, who defeated Malaysia’s Karupathevan Letshanaa 21-5, 21-18.
Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching also exited in the opening round after Japan’s Riko Gunji recovered from losing the first game to win 19-21, 21-11, 21-19.
Third seed Akane Yamaguchi was pushed to three games by Denmark’s Mia Blichfeldt before winning 21-15, 13-21, 21-18.
Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan Await Hong Kong Pair
Malaysia’s second-seeded women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan received a first-round bye and will begin their tournament against Hong Kong China’s Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam.
The Hong Kong pair advanced by defeating Scotland’s Julie Macpherson and Ciara Torrance 21-16, 21-13.
Japan’s Hinata Suzuki and Nao Yamakita survived a three-game contest against Hsu Ya Ching and Sung Yu-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei, winning 21-13, 18-21, 21-19.
American pair Lauren Lam and Allison Quynh Lee also advanced after coming from behind to beat Indonesia’s eighth seeds Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari 9-21, 22-20, 21-14.
Malaysian Mixed Doubles Pairs Reach Second Round
Chen Tang Jie and Chan Wen Tse won an all-Malaysian opening-round contest against Jimmy Wong and Cheng Su Yin 21-19, 21-16.
They will next meet China’s sixth seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui, who defeated Indonesia’s Amri Syahnawi and Nita Violina Marwah 24-22, 21-11.
Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie also progressed with a 21-15, 21-13 win over the United States’ Chen Zhi Yi and Francesca Corbett.
The Malaysians will face Denmark’s third seeds Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje in the round of 16.
Complete Tournament Results
Men’s Singles – Round of 32
Rasmus Gemke (Denmark) defeated Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand), 13-21, 21-17, 21-12.
Ng Ka Long Angus (Hong Kong China) defeated Yushi Tanaka (Japan), 21-12, 20-22, 21-15.
Jason Gunawan (Hong Kong China) defeated Kenta Nishimoto (Japan), 21-16, 21-16.
Anders Antonsen (Denmark) defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu (Hong Kong China), 16-21, 21-11, 21-18.
Alwi Farhan (Indonesia) defeated Ayush Shetty (India), 21-11, 13-21, 21-10.
Jonatan Christie (Indonesia) defeated Lin Chun-Yi (Chinese Taipei), 21-13, 21-14.
Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul (Thailand) defeated Nhat Nguyen (Ireland), 19-21, 21-17, 21-16.
Christo Popov (France) defeated Weng Hong Yang (China), 21-13, 19-21, 21-13.
Women’s Singles – Round of 32
An Se Young (South Korea) defeated Polina Buhrova (Ukraine), 21-13, 21-11.
Line Christophersen (Denmark) defeated Karupathevan Letshanaa (Malaysia), 21-5, 21-18.
Riko Gunji (Japan) defeated Wong Ling Ching (Malaysia), 19-21, 21-11, 21-19.
Pornpawee Chochuwong (Thailand) defeated Devika Sihag (India), 21-13, 21-14.
Ashmita Chaliha (India) defeated Kaloyana Nalbantova (Bulgaria), 21-18, 22-20.
Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) defeated Mia Blichfeldt (Denmark), 21-15, 13-21, 21-18.
Men’s Doubles – Round of 32
Aaron Tai/Yap Roy King (Malaysia) defeated Kang Min Hyuk/Lee Jongmin (South Korea), 13-21, 21-18, 21-19.
Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik (Malaysia) defeated Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi (Japan), 21-19, 14-21, 21-11.
Women’s Doubles – Round of 32
Hinata Suzuki/Nao Yamakita (Japan) defeated Hsu Ya Ching/Sung Yu-Hsuan (Chinese Taipei), 21-13, 18-21, 21-19.
Lauren Lam/Allison Quynh Lee (United States) defeated Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma/Meilysa Trias Puspitasari (Indonesia), 9-21, 22-20, 21-14.
Luo Yi/Wang Ting Ge (China) defeated Bengisu Ercetin/Nazlican Inci (Turkey), 21-14, 21-9.
Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand Pullela (India) defeated Yan Fei Chen/Hsieh Pei Shan (Chinese Taipei), 22-20, 21-14.
Rachel Allessya Rose/Febi Setianingrum (Indonesia) defeated Chang Ching Hui/Yang Ching Tun (Chinese Taipei), 21-18, 21-18.
Yeung Nga Ting/Yeung Pui Lam (Hong Kong China) defeated Julie Macpherson/Ciara Torrance (Scotland), 21-16, 21-13.
Mixed Doubles – Round of 32
Chen Tang Jie/Chan Wen Tse (Malaysia) defeated Jimmy Wong/Cheng Su Yin (Malaysia), 21-19, 21-16.
Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui (China) defeated Amri Syahnawi/Nita Violina Marwah (Indonesia), 24-22, 21-11.
Yang Po-Hsuan/Hu Ling Fang (Chinese Taipei) defeated Dejan Ferdinansyah/Felisha Alberta Nathaniel Pasaribu (Indonesia), 21-13, 21-16.
Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin (China) defeated Tanadon Punpanich/Jhenicha Sudjaipraparat (Thailand), 21-16, 21-17.
Yuta Watanabe/Maya Taguchi (Japan) defeated Gao Jia Xuan/Wu Meng Ying (China), 22-20, 21-16.
Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi (China) defeated Presley Smith/Jennie Gai (United States), 21-19, 21-17.
Goh Soon Huat/Lai Shevon Jemie (Malaysia) defeated Chen Zhi Yi/Francesca Corbett (United States), 21-15, 21-13.
Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Bøje (Denmark) defeated Alexander Dunn/Julie Macpherson (Scotland), 21-12, 21-10.
