Vantaa, Finland: Malaysia’s new men’s doubles combination Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King continued their impressive run at the 2026 Arctic Open by defeating Chinese Taipei’s Lee Fang Chih and Lee Fang Jen in straight games to reach the quarterfinals.
Aaron and Yap overcame the world No. 21 twin brothers 21-19, 21-11 in the round of 16, earning another important victory as they continue building their partnership on the BWF World Tour.
Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King Recover From Slow Start
The Malaysians were forced to work their way into the opening game after Lee Fang Chih and Lee Fang Jen raced to a 5-1 lead.
The Chinese Taipei pair remained ahead at 12-10 before Aaron and Yap responded with three consecutive points to move in front 13-12 for the first time.
After the score was tied at 13-13, the Malaysians began to take greater control. They opened a two-point advantage and successfully protected the lead through the closing stages to win 21-19.
- Winners: Aaron Tai/Yap Roy King of Malaysia
- Defeated: Lee Fang Chih/Lee Fang Jen of Chinese Taipei
- Score: 21-19, 21-11
- Round: 2026 Arctic Open round of 16
Malaysian Pair Dominate Second Game
Aaron and Yap settled much faster in the second game.
Leading 5-4, they put together a four-point run to create separation and never allowed Lee-Lee to regain control.
The Malaysians maintained the pressure from that point and closed out the game 21-11 to secure their place in the last eight.
Watch Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King vs Lee Fang Chih-Lee Fang Jen Highlights
Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King Face Thai Pair Next
Aaron and Yap will next face Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun and Pakkapon TeeraratSakul for a place in the semifinals.
The quarterfinal gives the newly formed Malaysian pair another opportunity to test themselves against established international opposition after already producing encouraging results in Finland.
Chia Weijie-Teo Ee Yi Fall in Three Games
Malaysia’s other men’s doubles pair, Chia Weijie and Teo Ee Yi, came close to joining Aaron-Yap in the quarterfinals but were edged by Chinese Taipei’s Lai Po Yu and Tsai Fu Cheng.
The Malaysians won a tight opening game 22-20, but Lai and Tsai responded by taking the second 22-20 before completing the comeback 21-16 in the decider.
- Winners: Lai Po Yu/Tsai Fu Cheng of Chinese Taipei
- Defeated: Chia Weijie/Teo Ee Yi of Malaysia
- Score: 20-22, 22-20, 21-16
Jimmy Wong-Cheng Su Yin Eliminated by Japanese Pair
Malaysia’s mixed doubles challenge was reduced further when Jimmy Wong and Cheng Su Yin were beaten by Japan’s world No. 20 pair Akira Koga and Natsu Saito.
Jimmy and Cheng recovered from an early 5-9 deficit in the first game and eventually edged it 21-19.
Koga and Saito responded emphatically in the second, building a commanding 14-4 lead before taking the game 21-7. The Japanese pair carried that momentum into the decider and completed the comeback 21-11.
- Winners: Akira Koga/Natsu Saito of Japan
- Defeated: Jimmy Wong/Cheng Su Yin of Malaysia
- Score: 19-21, 21-7, 21-11
Koga and Saito will face China’s Gao Jia Xuan and Wu Meng Ying in the quarterfinals.
Gao and Wu survived a difficult round-of-16 match against England’s Callum Hemming and Estelle van Leeuwen, recovering from a game down to win 15-21, 21-14, 24-22.
Chen Tang Jie-Chan Wen Tse Fall to World No. 1 Pair
Chen Tang Jie and Chan Wen Tse were unable to produce an upset against China’s world No. 1 combination Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping.
The Chinese top seeds controlled the match to win 21-15, 21-14 and end the Malaysians’ Arctic Open campaign.
- Winners: Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping of China
- Defeated: Chen Tang Jie/Chan Wen Tse of Malaysia
- Score: 21-15, 21-14
Aaron Tai-Yap Roy King Keep Malaysia’s Men’s Doubles Hopes Alive
With Chia Weijie-Teo Ee Yi eliminated, Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King are now Malaysia’s remaining men’s doubles pair in the Arctic Open quarterfinals.
Their straight-game victory over Lee Fang Chih and Lee Fang Jen provides another encouraging result for a partnership still in the early stages of development, with Thailand’s Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon TeeraratSakul standing between them and a semifinal appearance.
