Iksan City: Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik showcased incredible determination to claim the 2024 Korea Masters title, marking their first championship of the year.
Facing the home duo Jin Yong and Kim Won Ho in the final at Iksan Gymnasium, the World No. 6 pair had to dig deep, battling through three grueling sets to secure victory and take home the $15,750 (RM69,020) in prize money.
Highlights of Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik vs. Jin Yong/Kim Won Ho in the 2024 Korea Masters final:
Despite entering the tournament as top seeds and favorites, Chia and Soh faced a fierce challenge from Jin Yong and Kim Won Ho, dropping the first set 21-23. The Korean duo, buoyed by the home crowd, showed remarkable resilience, even after Chia and Soh held a match point in first set.
The second set saw another intense battle, with both sides trading points. However, the experienced Malaysian pair, who won the bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics, managed to edge out their opponents 21-19, despite trailing 3-7 earlier.
In the deciding set, Jin Yong and Kim Won Ho started strong but couldn’t maintain their momentum. Chia and Soh’s superb play helped close out the match in 66 minutes.
Although the Korea Masters is a BWF Super 300 event, the win was crucial for Chia and Soh as they aim to secure a spot at the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, next month.
Up next for the pair is the Super 500 Kumamoto Masters in Japan, starting this Tuesday.
Other Winners at the 2024 Korea Masters:
Men’s Singles: No. 1 seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn overcame Wang Zheng Xing 21-18, 21-18 in 50 minutes, capturing his first title of the year.
Women’s Singles: Indonesia’s No. 2 seed Putri Kusuma Wardani dominated China’s Han Qian Xi 21-14, 21-14 to take the title.
Mixed Doubles: China’s No. 4 seeds Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui cruised past No. 2 seeds Dejan Ferdinansyah/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja 21-10, 21-12.
Women’s Doubles: Korea’s No. 6 seeds Kim Hye Jeong/Kong Hee Yong thrilled the home crowd, defeating China’s No. 2 seeds Li Yi Jing/Luo Xu Min 21-14, 16-21, 21-18 in a marathon match lasting 1 hour and 23 minutes.
