PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik survived a tricky test against China’s world No. 21 Chen Boyang-Liu Yi to reach the second round of the Arctic Open.
World No. 4 Aaron-Wooi Yik, who were making their first competitive appearance since winning bronze in the Paris Olympics in August, looked sharp and played superbly to beat Boyang-Liu Yi 21-18, 21-18 at the Energia Arena in Vantaa, Finland on Wednesday (Oct 9).
Aaron-Wooi Yik will likely play England’s Ben Lane-Sean Vendy next for a place in the quarter-final.
China Open champions Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and world No. 13 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun also made it into the second round.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin fought hard to defeat Denmark’s Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard 11-21, 23-21, 21-15 while Wei Chong-Kai Wun also needed to dig deep to beat Indonesia’s Korean Open champions Leo Rolly-Bagas Maulana 17-21, 21-18, 21-12.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin will face Japan’s Kenya Mitsuhashi-Hiroki Okamura next while Wei Chong-Kai Wun will meet Scotland’s Alexander Dunn-Adam Pringle.
Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi though suffered an early exit after going down 17-21, 19-21 to Taiwan’s Lin Bing-wei-Su Ching-heng.
