KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s doubles badminton coach Tan Bin Shen rates Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik an 8 out of 10 for their performance at the ongoing Malaysia Open.
Yesterday, the national number one pair were knocked out after losing to reigning world champions Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea 16-21, 21-18, 21-13 in the quarterfinals at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
“They had repeated the same mistake but before this, they could make a comeback when their opponents were leading.
“The crucial moment for me was when the South Koreans were leading 11-10.
“Aaron and Wooi Yik started making silly mistakes which gave the opponents confidence.
“Min-hyuk and Seung-jae dictated the play, which put our doubles pair under a lot of pressure. Aaron and Wooi Yik were also hesitant in their shot selection. That gave them the disadvantage,” he said.
When asked to rate his charges’ performance at the tournament, Bin Shen gave them an “8 out of 10”.
Moving forward, Bin Shen said he will work with Aaron and Wooi Yik on how to handle the pressure better, which is the key to winning games.
The world number four pair will next head to the India Open on Tuesday, where they have received the draw to face Japanese pair Akira Koga and Taichi Saito. – January 13, 2024