South Korea: Malaysia’s experimental men’s doubles partnership of Man Wei Chong and Soh Wooi Yik recovered from a difficult start to reach the Korea Masters round of 16.
The world No. 160 pair needed 54 minutes to defeat Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa and Yuto Nakashizu 12-21, 21-17, 21-12 in the opening round of the BWF World Tour Super 300 badminton tournament.
The victory provided a timely boost for Man and Soh, who have struggled to establish consistency since being separated from their regular partners as part of Malaysia’s men’s doubles restructuring.
Man Wei Chong-Soh Wooi Yik Recover After Slow Start
Man and Soh found themselves under immediate pressure as the Japanese pair controlled the opening game.
Midorikawa and Nakashizu dictated the pace, limited the Malaysians’ attacking opportunities and comfortably secured the first game 21-12.
The Malaysian combination responded with a more disciplined performance in the second. Their defensive coverage improved, while better control around the service line allowed them to create more attacking chances.
Man and Soh gradually established an advantage and took the game 21-17 to force a decider.
They carried that momentum into the third game, producing their most convincing badminton of the match. The Malaysians pulled away steadily before completing the comeback 21-12.
- Category: Men’s doubles first round
- Winners: Man Wei Chong/Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia
- Opponents: Hiroki Midorikawa/Yuto Nakashizu of Japan
- Score: 12-21, 21-17, 21-12
- Match duration: 54 minutes
Important Victory for Malaysia’s Experimental Pair
The result brought some relief for Man and Soh after a difficult beginning to their new partnership.
The pair had been eliminated in the opening round of two of their previous three tournaments following the reshuffling introduced by Malaysia’s men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi.
Their only previous victory together came at the China Open two weeks earlier, when they defeated fellow Malaysian combination Wan Arif Wan Junaidi and Kang Khai Xing before losing in the round of 16.
The Korea Masters therefore offers another opportunity for Man and Soh to develop their understanding and gain confidence as a partnership.
Man-Soh to Face Singapore Pair in Round of 16
Man and Soh will next meet Singapore’s Nge Joo Jie and Donovan Willard Wee for a place in the quarterfinals.
The Singaporean pair is ranked No. 676 in the world, giving the Malaysians a favorable opportunity to extend their run. However, Man and Soh will need to avoid the slow start that placed them under pressure in their opening match.
- Round-of-16 opponents: Nge Joo Jie/Donovan Willard Wee of Singapore
- World ranking: No. 676
Tee Kai Wun-Yap Roy King Complete Comeback Victory
Another newly formed Malaysian men’s doubles pair, Tee Kai Wun and Yap Roy King, also advanced after surviving a three-game contest.
Tee and Yap lost the opening game against Singapore’s Terry Hee and Wesley Koh but recovered to claim an 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 victory.
The Malaysians found greater consistency after the opening game and maintained their composure during the decisive stages of the match.
- Winners: Tee Kai Wun/Yap Roy King of Malaysia
- Opponents: Terry Hee/Wesley Koh of Singapore
- Score: 18-21, 21-17, 21-16
Tee and Yap will face South Korea’s Jin Yong and Lee Jong Min, the world No. 110 pair, in the round of 16.
Low Hang Yee-Ng Eng Cheong Win All-Malaysian Battle
Professional pair Low Hang Yee and Ng Eng Cheong progressed after defeating Wan Arif Wan Junaidi and Kang Khai Xing in a closely contested all-Malaysian encounter.
Low and Ng won the opening game 21-16 before Wan Arif and Kang responded by taking the second 21-13.
The deciding game remained tight until the closing rallies, with Low and Ng eventually securing a 22-20 victory.
- Winners: Low Hang Yee/Ng Eng Cheong of Malaysia
- Opponents: Wan Arif Wan Junaidi/Kang Khai Xing of Malaysia
- Score: 21-16, 13-21, 22-20
Low and Ng will next meet Chinese Taipei’s world No. 39 pair He Zhe Wei and Huang Jui Hsuan.
Aaron Chia-Aaron Tai Begin Korea Masters Campaign
Taipei Open runners-up Aaron Chia and Aaron Tai will begin their Korea Masters campaign against India’s Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu.
Aaron and Tai reached the final in Taipei in only their second tournament together, narrowly losing to Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin.
A victory over the Indian combination could set up an intriguing round-of-16 meeting with South Korean-Malaysian pair Choi Sol Gyu and Goh V Shem.
Choi and Goh advanced after defeating India’s Achutaditya Rao and Arjun Reddy 21-3, 21-10.
- Opening-round match: Aaron Chia/Aaron Tai of Malaysia vs. Bhargav Ram Arigela/Viswa Tej Gobburu of India
- Possible next opponents: Choi Sol Gyu/Goh V Shem
Cheng Su Hui-Chong Jie Yu Reach Women’s Doubles Last 16
Malaysia also celebrated a victory in women’s doubles through Cheng Su Hui and Chong Jie Yu.
The Malaysian pair survived a tense three-game match against Vietnam’s Pham Thi Diu Ly and Pham Thi Kanh, winning 21-16, 20-22, 23-21.
After narrowly missing the opportunity to finish the match in the second game, Cheng and Chong remained composed during an extended decider to secure their place in the round of 16.
- Winners: Cheng Su Hui/Chong Jie Yu of Malaysia
- Opponents: Pham Thi Diu Ly/Pham Thi Kanh of Vietnam
- Score: 21-16, 20-22, 23-21
They will next face Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chih Chun and Yang Chu Yun.
Vanessa Ng-Tan Zhing Yi Eliminated
Vanessa Ng and Tan Zhing Yi were unable to join their Malaysian teammates in the next round.
The pair lost 12-21, 16-21 to China’s Bao Li Jing and Cao Zi Han.
- Winners: Bao Li Jing/Cao Zi Han of China
- Opponents: Vanessa Ng/Tan Zhing Yi of Malaysia
- Score: 21-12, 21-16
Low Zi Yu-Noraqilah Maisarah Prepare for Opening Match
Young Malaysian women’s doubles pair Low Zi Yu and Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan will begin their tournament against South Korean qualifiers Moon In Seo and Park Se Ul.
Low and Noraqilah recently reached the Taipei Open quarterfinals after defeating Chinese Taipei’s third seeds Hsu Yin-Hui and Lin Jhih Yun.
The Korea Masters will provide another valuable opportunity for the developing pair to collect ranking points and gain experience against international opposition.
Malaysia’s Korea Masters Results and Upcoming Matches
- Man Wei Chong/Soh Wooi Yik: Defeated Hiroki Midorikawa/Yuto Nakashizu 12-21, 21-17, 21-12
- Tee Kai Wun/Yap Roy King: Defeated Terry Hee/Wesley Koh 18-21, 21-17, 21-16
- Low Hang Yee/Ng Eng Cheong: Defeated Wan Arif Wan Junaidi/Kang Khai Xing 21-16, 13-21, 22-20
- Cheng Su Hui/Chong Jie Yu: Defeated Pham Thi Diu Ly/Pham Thi Kanh 21-16, 20-22, 23-21
- Vanessa Ng/Tan Zhing Yi: Lost to Bao Li Jing/Cao Zi Han 12-21, 16-21
- Aaron Chia/Aaron Tai: To face Bhargav Ram Arigela/Viswa Tej Gobburu
- Low Zi Yu/Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan: To face Moon In Seo/Park Se Ul
Malaysian Partnerships Continue Important Testing Period
The Korea Masters represents another important stage in Malaysia’s ongoing men’s doubles experiment.
Several established players are competing with new partners as the national coaching team evaluates combinations ahead of larger international badminton tournaments.
Man Wei Chong and Soh Wooi Yik still have work to do before they can be considered a settled partnership, but their ability to recover from a game down against Midorikawa and Nakashizu was an encouraging sign.
With Tee Kai Wun-Yap Roy King and Low Hang Yee-Ng Eng Cheong also advancing, Malaysia will have multiple men’s doubles pairs competing for quarterfinal places in South Korea.
