Shenzhen, China – It was anything but smooth sailing for Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik as they narrowly escaped an early exit at the 2025 China Masters, facing fierce resistance from unseeded Taiwanese duo Liu Kuang Heng and Yang Po Han.
Watch Highlights of Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik vs. Liu Kuang Heng/Yang Po Han in 2025 China Masters first round:
Ranked No. 2 in the world, the Malaysian pair displayed uncharacteristic inconsistency in the first-round clash, eventually prevailing 23-21, 19-21, 21-19 after a tense one-hour battle.
Despite leading 19-13 in the deciding set and holding four match points at 20-16, Chia-Soh allowed their opponents to claw back to 20-19 due to a series of unforced errors. Fortunately, a crucial service mistake by the Taiwanese pair at match point handed the Malaysians a much-needed victory.
🆚 French Siblings Push Man-Tee Pair to the Limit
Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun were also tested by familiar rivals Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov of France. Just like their previous encounter at the 2025 World Championships in Paris, the Malaysians were pushed to three games before securing a 21-11, 25-27, 21-15 victory in 58 minutes.
The win improves their head-to-head record to 4–0 over the Popov brothers, who are currently ranked World No. 17.
Wei Chong-Kai Wun will face either Japan’s Kenya Mitsuhashi-Hiroki Okamura or Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin in the second round.
Pearly-Thinaah Survive Epic Battle in Women’s Doubles
World No. 2 women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah were forced to dig deep to overcome Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari in a dramatic three-set thriller.
After losing the first set 20-22, the Malaysians bounced back 21-16 before edging a tight decider 22-20 in a 73-minute battle of nerves and stamina.
This was Pearly-Thinaah’s second consecutive win over the Indonesian pair, following a straight-game victory at the Hong Kong Open last week, although this one required far more resolve and resilience.
Heartbreak for Go Pei Kee and Teoh Mei Xing
It was a different story for Go Pei Kee and Teoh Mei Xing, who fell short in their opening round match against China’s World No. 9 pair Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min.
Despite a spirited performance and strong second set showing, the Malaysians went down 19-21, 21-12, 19-21 in 64 minutes.
Mixed Doubles Showdown Ahead
Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin made light work of Indonesia’s Adnan Maulana and Nita Violina Marwah, winning comfortably 21-6, 21-14 to advance to Round 2.
Their next match will be a major test, as they face tournament second seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping—China’s world-renowned mixed doubles duo.
All eyes will be on Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik and Pearly/Thinaah as they aim to shake off their first-round jitters and push deeper into the China Masters bracket. Meanwhile, Wei Chong/Kai Wun will be looking to extend their winning streak in the next round.
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