NEW DELHI, Jan 20 — Two Malaysian doubles pairs — Aaron Chia – Soh Wooi Yik, and Pearly Tan – M. Thinaah — cruised into the 2023 India Open men’s and women’s semi-finals respectively here today.
Aaron-Wooi Yik beat compatriots Ong Yew Sin – Teo Ee Yi 21 – 17, 21 – 11 in a 31-minute quarter-final clash at the K.D. Jadhav Indoor Hall.
The pair were thrilled to have checked into the last four.
“We played our game today. We led from the start and I think we performed quite well,” Aaron told Bernama.
The world number three pair will face either Malaysia Open champions Fajar Alfian – Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia or Germans Mark Lamsfuss – Germarvin Seidel for a place in the final.
Meanwhile, women’s doubles pair Pearly – Thinaah also had no problem downing Japan’s Rin Iwanaga – Kie Nakanishi 21 – 13, 21 – 13.
Pearly said: “They (the Japanese pair) are good players. It was not easy to score points against them.”
Looking ahead to their semi-final clash, Thinaah said: “We do not want (to put) any pressure (on ourselves). We just want to play better than today’s match.”
In tomorrow’s semi-finals, the world number eight Malaysians will take on either Thailand’s Benyapa Aimsaard – Nuntakarn Aimsaard or Japan’s Nami Matsuyama – Chiharu Shida.
— Bernama
