PETALING JAYA: Malaysian badminton stars Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik have advanced too the China Open men’s doubles final, positioning themselves for a shot at their maiden World Tour Super 1000 championship title.

The world number two pair demonstrated a commanding performance,overcoming India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty with a decisive 21-13,21-17 victory in their semi-final clash. This win marks the 11th time Chia and Soh have triumphed over their Indian rivals in their 14 career meetings.

Their opponents in the final will be Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, a pairing that has emerged as a surprise contender in the tournament.

This semi-final success also solidifies chia and Soh’s place in badminton history. They are now the first men’s doubles team globally to reach the finals of a World Tour Super 1000 event on six separate occasions. this achievement underscores their consistent presence at the pinnacle of the sport.

The Malaysian duo will be making their second appearance in the China Open final, having previously finished as runners-up in 2023. Their victory today fuels their pursuit of a fourth title this year, adding to their triumphs at the Thailand Open, Singapore Open, and the Badminton Asia championships.

The prestigious China Open boasts a considerable prize pool of US$2 million (approximately RM8.4 million). Winners in the doubles categories are set to receive US$148,000 (around RM624,000), with the runners-up earning US$70,000 (approximately RM295,146). Semi-finalists are guaranteed US$28,000 (around RM118,000) each.