BIRMINGHAM – Malaysia moved one step closer to ending a long wait for an All England title as Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik booked their place in the final of the 2026 All England Championships. The latest badminton news from Birmingham also saw several top players securing places in the finals across multiple events.
Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik Storm Into All England Final
The Malaysian men’s doubles pair produced an impressive performance to defeat China’s Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi 21-11, 21-19 in the semi-finals.
The world No.2 duo dominated the opening game from the start, controlling the rallies and attacking aggressively to seal the first set comfortably at 21-11.
The second game proved more competitive as the Chinese pair stepped up their pace and at one stage led 18-15. However, Chia and Soh remained composed under pressure and fought back to level the score at 18-18 before closing out the match 21-19.
The victory also extended their head-to-head record against Chen and Liu to 4-1.
With the win, Chia and Soh now have the opportunity to deliver Malaysia’s first men’s doubles All England title since Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong won the prestigious tournament in 2007.
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Women’s Doubles: Pearly Tan/Thinaah Fall in Semi-Finals
Malaysia’s challenge in women’s doubles badminton ended in the semi-finals after Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan were defeated by South Korea’s Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee.
The Korean fourth seeds won the match 21-17, 21-18 in a contest that lasted nearly an hour at the Utilita Arena Birmingham.
According to Thinaah, the difference in the match came down to composure during long rallies.
“In many rallies they were more patient and calm compared to us. We rushed some points, especially towards the end of each game, and that made the difference,” she said.
Despite the loss, Pearly and Thinaah delivered another strong performance at the historic tournament and remain one of Malaysia’s most promising women’s doubles pairs on the international badminton circuit.
Women’s Doubles Semi-Final Results
- Liu Sheng Shu / Tan Ning def. Jia Yi Fan / Zhang Shu Xian — 18-21, 21-17, 22-20
- Baek Ha Na / Lee So Hee def. Pearly Tan / Thinaah Muralitharan — 21-17, 21-18
The final will see China’s top seeds Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning face Korea’s Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee.
Men’s Singles Final Confirmed
The men’s singles final will feature an exciting clash between India’s Lakshya Sen and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi.
Sen defeated Canada’s Victor Lai in three games 21-16, 18-21, 21-15 to reach the final.
Meanwhile, Lin Chun-Yi produced a strong performance to eliminate Thailand’s second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-14, 18-21, 21-16.
Women’s Singles Final Set
The women’s singles final will feature a blockbuster showdown between world No.1 An Se Young of South Korea and China’s Wang Zhi Yi.
An Se Young advanced after defeating Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei in a dramatic three-game battle 20-22, 21-9, 21-12.
Wang Zhi Yi secured her place in the final by beating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-15, 21-19.
All England Finals Lineup
The 2026 All England Championships are now set for a thrilling conclusion with several world-class badminton players competing for the prestigious titles.
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- Men’s Singles Final: Lakshya Sen vs Lin Chun-Yi
- Women’s Singles Final: An Se Young vs Wang Zhi Yi
- Women’s Doubles Final: Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning vs Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee
- Men’s Doubles Final: Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik vs Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae
- Mixed Doubles Final: Ye Hong Wei/Nicole Gonzales Chan vs Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue
With Malaysia now just one match away from a historic victory, all eyes will be on Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik as they attempt to capture their first All England crown and bring the prestigious badminton title back to Malaysia.
