Changzhou – Malaysia’s top men’s doubles team, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, delivered a stunning performance to book their place in the 2025 China Open final, marking their best run yet at a BWF Super 1000 tournament.
Facing India’s formidable duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in the semifinals, the Malaysian pair showed masterful control and resilience, securing a straight-games victory 21-13, 21-17 in just 43 minutes at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Changzhou.
🎥 Watch Highlights – Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik vs. Satwik/Chirag – 2025 China Open Semifinal:
This win guarantees Malaysia a spot in the final of the prestigious Super 1000 event, which offers a total prize pool of USD 2 million (RM9.36 million). Earlier, Malaysia’s women’s doubles team Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah fell in the semifinals.
The match was filled with electric rallies and tense moments, including a dramatic slip by Aaron Chia during a key rally in the first game. However, the duo quickly regained composure, combining quick defensive reflexes with calculated net play and attacking shots.
Despite a few misjudged shots and errors at the net, Aaron and Wooi Yik maintained the upper hand in both games. They closed out the match with a consistent second game, finishing 21-17 after forcing a wide return from the Indian pair.
“I think we played pretty well today. Like we’ve said before, we’re slowly regaining form after a couple of early exits, and this is a positive sign for us,” said Aaron in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“We’ve faced Rankireddy and Shetty several times—including in the Singapore Open semifinals—so we weren’t afraid. We just went in to give our best,” he added.
Malaysia now pins its hopes on Aaron and Wooi Yik to secure the title and claim the champion’s prize of USD 148,000 (RM692,000).
Their final hurdle? Indonesia’s powerful pair Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, who stand between the Malaysians and their long-awaited Super 1000 title.
Men’s Singles Final: All-Chinese Showdown Confirmed
China has officially secured the men’s singles crown at the 2025 China Open after Wang Zheng Xing and Shi Yu Qi both advanced to the final:
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Wang Zheng Xing defeated Denmark’s Anders Antonsen in straight games.
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Shi Yu Qi beat Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei 21-12, 22-20 in a tightly contested match, marking his fourth final of the season.
With two Chinese shuttlers set to clash, the men’s singles title is already guaranteed to stay on home soil.
