China Masters: Aaron Chia, Soh Wooi Yik Split Again as Malaysia Tests New Doubles Pairings After World Championships

New Delhi, August 28: After a 'so close yet so far' moment for Malaysia in the men's doubles final at the BWF World Championships 2026, the star pairing of Soh Wooi Yik and Aaron Chia have decided to split up once again and undergo a reshuffle before the start of the China Masters Super 750 next week.

Besides this 'scratch pairing' involving Aaron and Soh, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will also test out several other pairings. The Southeast nation has always been known to produce some good doubles pairings in the past, and naturally, these kinds of experimentation help the association to churn out talents for them.

What Will Be The New Pairings?

According to the association, Aaron Chia will team up with Man Wei Chong in the China masters. The duo will open their campaign in Shenzhen Arena against Japan's World No. 21 Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi.

Meanwhile, Soh Wooi Yik will partner with Aaron Tai, who was earlier with Chia. Soh-Tai will face World No 49 Hiroki Okamura-Kyohei Yamashita of Japan. Besides, Arif Junaidi-Kang Khai Xing will face a stern test against Indonesia's World No. 2, Fajar Alfian and Mohammad Shohibul Fikri.

Other Malaysian Shuttlers In The Fray

Among the Malaysian pairs maintaining their partnership are Korea Masters champions Tee Kai Wun and Yap Roy King, who face a stern opening-round test against China's world No. 10 combination Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi.

World No. 6 Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani will begin their campaign against Indonesia's world No. 30 pair Ali Faathir Rayhan and Devin Artha Wahyudi. If both Malaysian combinations advance, they will meet in the second round, setting up an all-Malaysian clash between Sze Fei-Izzuddin and Kai Wun-Roy King.

Nur Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong also have a challenging first-round assignment, with Indonesia's world No. 7 duo Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani standing in their way. In men's singles, world No. 27 Leong Jun Hao faces a daunting opener against Indonesia's top-ranked Jonatan Christie.

Meanwhile, world No. 31 K. Letshanaa will renew her rivalry with Japan's world No. 9 Tomoka Miyazaki. Miyazaki currently holds a 2-1 advantage in their head-to-head record, but Letshanaa will take confidence from their most recent encounter, where the Malaysian emerged victorious at the Malaysia Masters in May.

World No. 36 Wong Ling Ching completes Malaysia's women's singles challenge against Thailand's world No. 30 Supanida Katethong.

The tournament offers BAM another opportunity to assess the chemistry and adaptability of its players after returning to established combinations for the World Championships.