Aaron-Wooi Yik in All England final, Pearly-Thinaah fall

2026-03-07 - 23:23

This is the third time in seven years that Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik have made it to the final of the All England championships. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: National men’s doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik stormed into the All England final while Pearly Tan-M Thinaah fell short of creating history by becoming the first Malaysian women’s pair to enter the final of the championships. Aaron-Wooi Yik, ranked world No 2, defeated China’s 11th ranked Chen Bo Yang-Liu Yi 21-11, 21-19 in 42 minutes in the semi-final played at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham early this morning. However, world No 2 Pearly-Thinaah went down to top South orean pair Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee 17-21, 18-21 in a gruelling 69-minute match. Aaron-Wooi Yik hope to be third-time lucky after having finished as runners-up at the All England championships in 2019 and 2024, losing to Indonesian rivals on both occasions. The two-time Olympics bronze medallists will meet world No 1 Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae in the final. The Koreans defeated Indonesia’s Raymond Indra-Nikolaus Joaquin in the other semi-final. Aaron-Wooi Yik, who won the Indonesian Masters in January, could end the 19-year wait for a Malaysian pair to win the All England crown, last won by Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in 2007. Aaron-Wooi Yik will take home US$107,300 (RM423,433) if they win or settle for US$50,750 (RM200,273) as runners-up. Pearly-Thinaah missed a great opportunity to create badminton history after going diwn to Ha Na-So Hee. The world No 4 South Korean pair have now beaten them four times in their seven meetings so far. Their semi-final appearance was the first time in 19 years by a Malaysian women’s doubles pair in the All England championships. In 2007, Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty made it to the last four. Pearly-Thinaah, who won their first title this year at the Indonesia Masters in January, won US$20,300 (RM80,107) as semi-finalists.