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Challenging path ahead for Aaron-Wooi Yik in quest for second world title

Challenging path ahead for Aaron-Wooi Yik in quest for second world title

The Star2 days ago
PETALING JAYA: Men's doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik face a challenging path to the medal rounds in the World Championships from Aug 25-31 in Paris.
Aaron-Wooi Yik, who hope to capture their second world title after their triumph in 2022 in Tokyo, will likely need to overcome either China's Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang or India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty in the quarter-finals.
The world No. 2 pair, who received a bye in the first round, will open their campaign in the second round against either Scotland's Christopher Grimley-Mathew Grimley or Spain's Daniel Franco-Rodrigo Sanjurjo.
A win could see Aaron-Wooi Yik play teammates and debutants Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi in the third round.
Roy King-Arif first need to overcome two tricky pairs – Japan's Kenya Mitsuhashi-Hiroki Okamura and Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Kittinupong Kedren – in the first and second rounds if they hope to meet Aaron-Wooi Yik.
Meanwhile, world No. 3 independent pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, who also received a bye in the first round, will play the winners of the match between Thailand's Peeratchai Sukphun-Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Americans Chen Zhi-yi-Presley Smith in the second round.
Another Malaysian representative, world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, will likely face Popov brothers Christo and Toma Junior from France in the second round.
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