Ningbo: Malaysia’s top men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik delivered a dominant performance to storm into the semifinals of the 2025 Badminton Asia Championships (BAC), outclassing Indonesia’s world No. 4 pair Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in just 30 minutes.
The world No. 6 duo showcased clinical execution at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center, sealing a 21-16, 21-11 win and booking their place in the BAC semifinals for the third time in their careers—having also reached this stage in 2022 and 2024.
Watch Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik vs. Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto in 2025 BAC Quarterfinal:
Back in 2022, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik went on to finish as runners-up after falling short in the final to Indonesia’s Pramudya Kusumawardana-Yeremia Rambitan.
Tough Semifinal Awaits Against Chinese Titans
The Malaysians now face an uphill task in the semifinal tomorrow, as they prepare to take on China’s second seeds, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. The Chinese duo hold a commanding 8–2 head-to-head advantage, including two recent wins during the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin’s Dream Run Ends in Quarterfinal Drama
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s top-seeded pair Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin saw their BAC campaign come to a heartbreaking end, falling to China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi in a thrilling three-game battle, 16-21, 21-18, 20-22.
Despite rallying from a 9-15 deficit in the decider to force a 20-20 tie, the Malaysian pair couldn’t hold their nerve in the closing moments, losing in 67 minutes and crashing out of the tournament.
This defeat also ended their unbeaten record against Chen Bo Yang-Liu Yi, having previously beaten them at the 2023 US Open and 2024 China Open.
No All-Malaysian Final This Time
With Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin’s exit, hopes for an all-Malaysian final in men’s doubles have been dashed. Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik now carry the nation’s sole hopes into the final four of the men’s doubles category at BAC 2025.
Last year, it was Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin who beat Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik in the semifinals en route to finishing as runners-up. This time, the tables have turned as Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik eye a potential redemption run.
In men’s singles quarter-final, Loh Kean Yew of Singapore pulled off an upset to beat World No. 1 Shi Yuqi 21-19, 13-21, 21-16 to set up a semifinal meeting with Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, while Li Shi Feng set up another semifinal battle with compatriot Lu Guang Zu at the bottom half of the men’s singles semifinals.
