Top national men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik saw their hopes of lifting the Malaysian Open 2026 title dashed, extending Malaysia’s 12-year wait for a home men’s doubles champion.
In the final played before a packed Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil today, the second-seeded Malaysians were beaten by top seeds and defending champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea.
Aaron-Wooi Yik struggled to find their rhythm early on and paid the price for a series of unforced errors, surrendering the opening game 15-21.
The 2022 world champions responded strongly in the second set, showing greater sharpness and control as they surged to an 18-11 lead before forcing a decider with a convincing 21-12 win.
However, momentum swung back in favour of the Koreans in the deciding game, as they raced to an 11-4 advantage. The Malaysians mounted a late fightback to close the gap to 18-17, but Kim-Seo held their nerve to seal the match 21-18 in a one-hour-and-six-minute battle and successfully defend their title.
The defeat means Malaysia’s long wait for a men’s doubles champion at the home Open continues, with the last local winners still being Goh V Shem and Lim Khim Wah back in 2014.
It also extended Aaron-Wooi Yik’s Super 1000 title drought, marking their seventh defeat at this elite level.
As champions, Kim Won Ho-Seo Seung Jae collected USD107,500 (approximately RM439,232.55) in prize money, while Aaron-Wooi Yik took home USD50,750 (around RM207,745.12).
