KUALA LUMPUR: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik's reign as Malaysia's No. 1 men's doubles is set to end next week as they will be overtaken by a surging Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani.
Regardless of the outcome in the World Tour Finals (WTF) men's doubles final today, world No. 7 Sze Fei-Izzuddin are poised to climb to No. 3 when the rankings are updated next Tuesday.
Aaron-Wooi Yik paid a costly price for their early elimination in the WTF group stage this week. Not only will they drop out of the world's top five, they are also projected to slip to No. 6.
The pair have been Malaysia's undisputed No. 1 since April 2019, when they unseated Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong. However, signs of a changing of the guard are evident as their former national teammates, Sze Fei-Izzuddin, have been dominating the World Tour circuit in the second half of this year.
Since August, Sze Fei-Izzuddin have clinched three titles - the Japan Open, China Open, and Arctic Open. They can claim their biggest career title yet if they defeat Denmark's Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen later today.