Denmark Open: Aaron Tai-Roy King Fight Back to Win First-Round Match
Malaysia's new men's doubles pair Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King came from behind to win their Denmark Open opener and will face Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik next.
Comeback Win in Odense
Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King had to work hard in their opening match at the Denmark Open. They lost the first game 13-21 to South Korea’s new pair, Kang Min-hyuk and Lee Jong-min. The Malaysians then came back to win the next two games 21-18 and 21-19.
The win kept their good form going. Just last week, Tai and Yap won the Arctic Open in Finland. It was their first BWF World Tour event as a pair, and they beat Taiwan’s Lai Po-yu and Tsai Fu-cheng in the final. It was their first World Tour title and their first Super 500 title.
Rising Fast in the Rankings
After their Arctic Open win, the pair have climbed to No. 116 in the world rankings. Malaysia men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi has said the two players have great potential. He believes they need to play more matches against top-10 pairs to keep improving.
All-Malaysian Clash Next
In the second round, Tai and Yap will face their teammates Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik. The world No. 4 pair are playing together again for the first time since winning silver at the World Championships in New Delhi in August.
Chia and Soh started well in Odense. They beat Japan’s defending champions and world champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi 21-19, 14-21, 21-11 in 51 minutes.
Chia and Soh Chase Olympic Dream
The former world champions have agreed to stay together until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. They won bronze at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and now want to go further.
Soh said it feels special to play with Chia again after about 10 years together, and that his main goal is the Los Angeles Olympics. Chia, 29, said he believes they are on the right track and will focus on building up through 2027.
During their short time apart, Chia reached the Taipei Open final with Tai, while Soh finished runner-up at the Korea Masters with Man Wei Chong.
Mixed Doubles Pairs Advance
In mixed doubles, Malaysia’s world No. 10 pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai beat a United States pair 21-15, 21-13. They will face Denmark’s third seeds in the next round. Chen Tang Jie and Chan Wen Tse also reached the last 16 after beating their Malaysian teammates.