KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s premier men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik produced a stirring comeback to defeat Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, booking their place in the Malaysia Open 2026 final.
After falling behind in both games, the former world champions held their nerve to clinch a dramatic 23–21, 21–18 victory in the semi-finals, keeping Malaysian hopes alive for a long-awaited home triumph.
Comeback Grit Under Pressure
The opening game was tense from the outset. Chia and Soh showed visible nerves early on but steadied themselves after trailing 2–4, trading points with the Indonesians through a tight mid-game phase.
With the score locked at 17–17, the Malaysians finally edged ahead and reached game point at 20–18. Although Alfian and Fikri forced deuce, Chia and Soh responded decisively to take the opener 23–21.
The second game followed a similar script. Indonesia surged ahead after a 3–3 stalemate, opening up an 8–4 lead. Refusing to panic, Chia and Soh clawed their way back to 12–12 before unleashing a four-point burst that shifted momentum permanently.
They closed out the match 21–18, sealing a place in the final with a display of resilience and composure under pressure.
A Shot at Ending Malaysia’s Long Wait
Sunday’s final presents a golden opportunity for Chia and Soh to end Malaysia’s seven-year wait for a home champion at the Malaysia Open.
The last Malaysian to lift the title was Lee Chong Wei seven years ago, while the most recent local men’s doubles champions date back to 2014, when Goh V Shem and Lim Khim Wah stood atop the podium.
Standing in their way will be Korea’s formidable duo Seo Seung Jae and Kim Won Ho, who advanced earlier after surviving a stern three-game test against England’s Ben Lane and Sean Vendy.
The Koreans rallied from a heavy opening-game loss to win 8–21, 21–11, 21–18 and will be chasing back-to-back Malaysia Open titles.
Singles Finals Line-Up Set
In men’s singles, China’s world No.1 Shi Yuqi continued his title push with a confident 21–13, 21–14 semi-final win over Denmark’s Anders Antonsen.
He will face Thailand’s defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who defeated Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 21–16, 21–16 to reach the final.
The upcoming showdown marks their 11th international meeting, with Shi holding a 7–3 head-to-head advantage, including wins at last year’s World Championships final and the World Tour Finals semi-finals.
Looking ahead, Shi remained measured in his assessment.
“Every match is a fresh challenge,” he said. “I’ll give everything on court and focus on doing my best.”
As finals day approaches, anticipation is building at Axiata Arena — with Malaysian fans daring to believe that a long-awaited home victory could finally be within reach.
