Badminton News: Reigning men’s doubles champions Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik secured their place in the third round of the prestigious 2023 BWF World Championships on Wednesday night (8/23).
The representative of Malaysia managed to beat the Danish pair Jeppe Bay / Lasse Mølhede in an exciting match which ended with the score of 18-21, 21-14 and 21-16.
World number 31 pair Jeppe Bay/Lasse Mølhede took advantage of home advantage in the first round. They fought hard to equalize at 18-18 before finally sealing victory in the game with an impressive three-point streak.
In the crucial second match, Chia/Soh put up an impressive 6-0 attack, giving them a 9-5 lead. Although the score was equal at 10 points each, they launched an 8-2 attack towards the end to tie the game at 1-1.
In the deciding game, Chia/Soh were initially trailing 10-11 halfway through but fought back with an incredible three-point streak to earn a well-deserved victory. In the next match, they will face Tokyo Olympic champions Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin.
Before Chia/Soh, two other Malaysian men’s doubles pairs, Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi and Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun had also qualified for the 3rd round of the 2023 World Championships.
In the men’s singles category, Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia won a 2-0 victory over Canadian Brian Yang, thus securing his place in the 3rd round.
Lee started the opener with a bang, earning his first two straight points. Despite Yang’s best efforts, Lee’s smashing punches dominated some exchanges.
With an 11-3 lead at the end of technical time, Lee continued to cement his lead. Despite a few errors at 14-5, which allowed his opponent to score three points in a row. However, Lee proved too strong by winning the first game with a score of 21-11.
In game two, Yang was looking to improve, but luck seemed to be on Li Zijia’s side as Lee fought back and took another win at 21-16.
As the journey continues, Lee will face Denmark’s Anders Antonsen on Thursday.
Antonsen also beat Malaysia’s Ng Tze Yong 24-22, 21-16 to advance to the 3rd round of the 2023 BWF World Championships.
Article Tags: Aaron Chia, Soh Wooi Yik, Lee Zii Jia, BWF World Championships 2023
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