Despair as Aaron-Wooi Yik fail to win China Open
PETALING JAYA : Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik let slip a golden opportunity to win their first World Tour Super 1000 title after losing to a scratch Indonesian pair at the China Open men's doubles final.
The world No 2 pair's hopes of hitting a career high were dashed by the unranked giant-killers Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri, losing 15-21, 14-21 in just 34 minutes.
The Indonesians played aggressively, giving Aaron-Wooi Yik little chance to come back after taking huge leads.
Aaron-Wooi Yik took home US$70,000 (RM295,146) as runners-up while the champions won US$148,000 (RM624,000).
This was Aaron-Wooi Yik's sixth appearance in the final of a World Tour Super 1000 tournament.
Today's result marks a huge win for the Indonesian duo, capturing a Super 1000 title despite the China Open being just their second international tournament after being paired up.
Aaron-Wooi Yik were gunning for a fourth title this year, having won the Thailand Open, Singapore Open and Badminton Asia Championships.
The two-time Olympic bronze medalists can however take heart as this was their 13th World Tour final appearance in their badminton career, of which they have won four.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Wrong strategy caused Aaron-Wooi Yik's China Open final loss
NATIONAL men's doubles coach Herry Iman Pierngadi attributed Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik's loss in the 2025 China Open final to a flawed game plan. The Malaysian pair fell 15-21, 14-21 to Indonesia's Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Shohibul Fikri at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Changzhou. Herry acknowledged that Fajar-Muhammad Shohibul executed a superior strategy, particularly their aggressive 'no-lift' play, which pressured Aaron-Wooi Yik from the start. 'We used the wrong strategy in the first game and struggled to recover. Their attacking precision was outstanding, with minimal errors,' he told Bernama. The coach also noted that strong air currents in the venue may have disrupted the Malaysians' rhythm. This defeat extends Aaron-Wooi Yik's streak of six consecutive Super 1000 final losses, including the All England (2019, 2024), Thailand Open (2020), China Open (2023), and Indonesia Open (2023). Fajar-Muhammad Shohibul claimed the USD 148,000 (RM 625,000) prize, while Aaron-Wooi Yik earned USD 70,000 (RM 296,000) as runners-up. - Bernama
Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Costly call: Wrong strategy doomed Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in China Open final, says coach
KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — National men's doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik lost in the final of the 2025 China Open Badminton Championships yesterday because they adopted the wrong strategy. This is the opinion of national men's doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi after watching Aaron-Wooi Yik go down 15-21, 14-21 to Indonesia's Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in the Super 1000 tournament at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Changzhou. Herry believes that their early strategic errors opened the door for their opponents to dominate from the outset. 'We need to admit that Fajar-Muhammad Shohibul had a better game plan. We, on the other hand, used the wrong strategy in the first game and were left trailing in their wake. 'Their 'no-lift' play (driving the shuttle flat and at pace) was extremely good in the first game. Their attacking quality, especially in the first game, was excellent… they hardly made any mistakes,' he said when contacted by Bernama. Herry also admitted that the strong draught at the venue may have affected Aaron-Wooi Yik's momentum in the final. The defeat marks a worrying trend Aaron-Wooi Yik, the 2022 world champions and two-time Olympic bronze medallists who have now lost six consecutive Super 1000 finals, inluding the All England (2019, 2024); Thailand Open (2020); China Open (2023); and Indonesia Open (2023). For their win yesterday, Fajar-Muhammad Shohibul took home USD148,000 (about RM625,000), while runners-up Aaron-Wooi Yik pocketed USD70,000 (about RM296,000). — Bernama
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Cash kings: Aaron-Wooi Yik surpass RM1 million in season earnings
KUALA LUMPUR: The China Open may have ended in heartbreak for Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, but the world No. 2 men's doubles pair can take comfort in hitting a major financial milestone. Despite falling short in the final, losing to Indonesia's Fajar Alfian-Shobihul Fikri, in Changzhou on Sunday, the runners-up finish earned Aaron-Wooi Yik a hefty US$70,000 (RM295,435), pushing their total prize money earnings this season to US$264,887.50 (RM1,117,957) — making them the first Malaysian shuttlers to surpass the RM1 million mark thus far this year. It was also the second biggest payday of the season for the 2022 world champions, eclipsed only by the US$74,000 (RM312,317) they pocketed for winning the Singapore Open in June. The pair's earnings from the China Open dwarfed the US$37,325 (RM157,530) they collected from lifting the Thailand Open title and the US$37,000 (RM156,158) from their Asia Championships triumph — both victories that came several months back. This year's China Open carried a US$2 million (RM8,440,998) prize purse, matching the elevated amount introduced in 2023 and maintained for three successive editions. It remains the second most lucrative event on the BWF World Tour calendar after the season-ending World Tour Finals, which boasts a US$2.5 million pot (RM10,551,250) The China Open's prize money still surpasses that of other Super 1000 tournaments such as the Malaysia Open, All England and Indonesia Open, each offering US$1.45 million. While Aaron-Wooi Yik lead the pack, women's doubles world No. 3 Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah are not far behind with US$206,317.50 (RM871,072) in prize money collected so far this season. The ever-reliable world No. 3 Pearly-Thinaah continued their strong form in Changzhou, reaching the semi-finals and pocketing a cool US$28,000 (RM118,174) for their efforts. It was another solid result to add to a season that includes several lucrative finishes — US$50,750 (RM214,190) and US$33,250 (RM140,331) for finishing runners-up at the Indonesia Open and Japan Open respectively, as well as US$37,525 (RM158,374) for winning the Thailand Open. Next on the list are world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, who have quietly put together an impressive year. They have amassed US$146,143.75 (RM617,018), helped by their title wins at the Indonesia Masters and Malaysia Masters. World No. 3 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, the winners of India Open and runners-up of Japan Open, round off the top four earners with US$133,593.75 (RM564,099). With the business end of the season fast approaching, including the Denmark Open, French Open, China Masters and the season-ending World Tour Finals, the race for bigger paydays is far from over.
