KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 — It was a disappointing end for national men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik at the Malaysia Open 2025, as they were given the boot by Taiwanese twins Lee Fang-Chih-Lee Fang-Jen in the second round here yesterday.

Aaron-Wooi Yik failed to live up to their billing as fifth seeds as they were simply out of depth, committing a string of unforced errors to lose 14-21, 18-21 in 47 minutes at Axiata Arena.

Chia admitted that they did not play their A game while failure to pile on more pressure on the unseeded Lee brothers also proved costly.

"They were also more composed, especially in the first game when we gave away easy points,” he told reporters in a post-match interview.

Chia was gutted for failing to give a perfect send-off for national men’s doubles head coach Tan Bin Shen, following their elimination from the Super 1000 event, the season’s opening tournament.

Chia, however, said they were glad to have given Tan memorable moments, including winning the Paris 2024 Olympic Games bronze last August.

Soh, on the other hand, also appreciated Tan’s touch as he was responsible for guiding them to be one of the world’s top pairs, including being the first Malaysians to clinch the world title in 2022.

Tan, who will resign after the Malaysia Open 2025, will be joining the Hong Kong national squad in February as a doubles coach.

However, two other men’s doubles representatives — national duo Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and professional pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi — brought cheers to home fans as they stormed into the quarter-finals.

Wei Chong-Kai Wun put up a solid performance to upset the eighth seeds from Taiwan, Lee Jhe-Huei-Yang Po-Hsuan.

The Malaysians set the court ablaze to take the first game 21-15 and powered through to earn their quarter-final berth with a 21-13 win in the second.

Man attributed their success to a few lucky shots while Tee said they need to discuss new strategies with the coach for their next match.

Yew Sin-Ee Yi rallied for 69 minutes to dispose of South Korean scratch pair Jin Yong-Kang Min Hyuk 23-21, 16-21, 21-18.

Ong said their relaxed approach since the first round has worked wonders for them, allowing the former world championship bronze medallists to play with a clear mind against their opponents.

He hopes to next meet professional pair Nur Azriyn Ayub-Tan Wee Kiong, who have a mammoth task against the seventh seeds from India, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty. — Bernama