KUALA LUMPUR: Men's doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik reached the Korea Masters final today, putting themselves within touching distance of history at the Super 300 event in Iksan City.
The world No. 6 are chasing their first World Tour title of the year, and a victory tomorrow would mark Malaysia's first-ever title at this tournament since it began in 2007.
The top seeds have shown resilience, dropping a game in the first round but maintaining steady form since. They recorded an impressive 21-17, 21-16 victory over Taiwan's new pairing of Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Wang Chi Lin, ranked No. 76, in a 36-minute semi-final.
Chi Lin recently paired up with Hsiang Chieh following his former partner Lee Yang's retirement after securing their second consecutive Olympic gold at the Paris Games.
Despite winning bronze medals at both the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, as well as securing gold and bronze at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, Aaron-Wooi Yik have found it challenging to consistently dominate on the World Tour.
Their sole World Tour title to date came at the Denmark Open Super 750 last year.
The Korea Masters final is the pair's second this season, following their runner-up finish at the All England in March.
National coaching director Rexy Mainaky is satisfied with Aaron-Wooi Yik's performance at the Korea Masters.
"It's encouraging to see Aaron-Wooi Yik back on track. I hope this will boost their self-belief heading into the next two World Tour tournaments," said Rexy.
"I'm hoping they maintain this momentum for tomorrow's final."
In the final, they'll face South Korea's newly paired Jin Yong and Kim Won Ho, who edged compatriots Ki Dong Ju-Seo Seung Jae 16-21, 21-19, 21-16 in the other semi-final.
Both South Korean pairs are part of an experimental lineup, as Seung Jae-Won Ho have struggled to sustain their form since winning the world title last year in Copenhagen.
A win tomorrow would strengthen Aaron-Wooi Yik's bid to qualify for the World Tour Finals (WTF) on Dec 11-15.
Continuing their strong form at next week's Kumamoto Masters Super 500 in Japan and the China Masters Super 750 on Nov 19-24 could secure them a spot at the season-ending event in Hangzhou.