Copenhagen: Men’s doubles defending champions – Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik secured a spot in the semi-finals of the 2023 World Championships, after conquering World No. 7 Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi of China for the very first time on Friday.
In the thrilling quarter-finals, the World No. 4 Chia/Soh collided with the formidable Chinese duo of Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi. The intense clash spanned three grueling sets, ultimately culminating in a hard-fought victory for the Malaysian side, with a final score of 21-10, 15-21, and 21-14.
Highlights of Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik vs. Liu Yuchen/Ou Xuanyi in the 2023 World Championships quarter-finals:
Despite a higher world ranking, Chia/Soh had previously faced setbacks against the “Twin Tower” from China, succumbing to defeat in the 2022 Indonesia Open, the 2022 BWF World Tour finals, and the 2023 Malaysia Open.
The opening game witnessed the Malaysian duo launch a formidable offensive right from the start, leveraging their speed and precision to keep the Chinese opponents at bay. Racing to a 3-0 lead, they maintained their dominance throughout, denying any opportunity for a counterattack and ultimately clinching a convincing 21-10 victory.
The second game saw a spirited comeback from the Chinese pair, with a swift counterattack that propelled them to a 21-15 win, leveling the match at one set each. As the tension reached its peak, the deciding game unfolded after a technical timeout with the Malaysian pair leading 11-9. Unyielding and resolute, Chia/Soh pressed on relentlessly, stifling any potential comeback from their opponents and ultimately securing a triumphant 21-14 win.
With this remarkable triumph, Chia/Soh earned the honor of advancing to the next stage, where they will face World No. 6 Kang Min Hyuk/Seo Seung Jae of Korea. Kang/Seo defeated Indonesia’s former World Champions Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan 21-19, 21-17 in other quarter-finals.
In an earlier showdown that captivated audiences, the Danish pair of Kim Astep/Anders Rasmussen emerged victorious against India’s second-seeded Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty with a score of 21-18, 21-19. Meanwhile, China’s third-seeded pair, Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang, exhibited their skills by defeating Indonesia’s Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Bagas Maulana with a final score of 21-18, 15-21, 21-14.
Meanwhile, in a much-anticipated men’s singles quarter-finals, home favorite and World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen encountered a tough challenge from World No. 9 HS Prannoy of India. Despite winning the first game 21-13, Essesin ultimately succumbed to the skillful tactics of Prannoy, who claimed victory with scores of 21-15 and 21-16, effectively ending Axelsen’s title defense.
Highlights of Viktor Axelsen vs. HS Prannoy in the 2023 World Championships quarter-finals:
The World No. 3 Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand who lost to Viktor Axelsen in the final of the 2023 World Championships, beat Want Tzu Wei of Taiwan 18-21, 21-15, 21-13 to face Prannoy in the semi-finals.
Another Danish player, Anders Antonsen continued Denmark’s hope of winning the men’s singles title on home turf when he Kenta Nishimoto 21-10, 21-7 and will meet another Japanese player Kodai Naraoka in the last four.
