No room for slow starts as Aaron-Wooi Yik eye China Open final
The Malaysians looked sharp as they dispatched world No. 7 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun 21-16, 21-16 in just 33 minutes in their all-Malaysian quarter-final clash at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium.
Aaron-Wooi Yik, who suffered a shock first-round exit to independent pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi at last week's Japan Open, were back to their best, showing the kind of form that has won them three titles this season.
"We're getting back on track at the right time, and we'll give our best shot tomorrow (Saturday)," said Aaron.
"We used to train together, so it really came down to making the right changes at crucial stages."
Yew Sin-Ee Yi had threatened to set up an all-Malaysian semi-final, but those hopes were dashed by world No. 12 and reigning Asian Games champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty.
The Indian pair won 21-18, 21-14 in 40 minutes to book a meeting with Aaron-Wooi Yik.
Wooi Yik said they must avoid the lapses in concentration that saw them fall 9-4 behind in the opening game against Wei Chong-Kai Wun.
"It was a tight game, but we didn't overthink it. We just focused on our gameplay and rhythm," said Wooi Yik.
"At the start, we lost concentration and allowed them to take a big lead. That's something we need to work on."
Despite the defeat, Wei Chong gave credit to Aaron-Wooi Yik.
"Their game plan was effective, and they were very clear about what they needed to execute. We couldn't break their rhythm."
Kai Wun admitted that Aaron-Wooi Yik raised their level in Changzhou to improve their head-to-head record to 4-3.
"Our service returns and defensive retrieving didn't work today," said Kai Wun.
"That made it difficult, and we ended up making more mistakes. Even though we know each other's game, the pair who controlled the drift and shuttle flight had the edge."
Aaron-Wooi Yik's commanding 10-3 head-to-head record against Satwik-Chirag should give them confidence heading into Saturday's semi-final of the Super 1000 tournament.
In the other semi-final, China's world No. 6 Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang face Indonesia's scratch pair Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto.
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