History beckons at the PERODUA Malaysia Masters 2025 as Malaysia is guaranteed the men’s doubles crown for the first time in 12 years following a commanding semifinal display by both its elite pairs — Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik and Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun.
The last time Malaysia celebrated a home victory in the men’s doubles was in 2013 through Goh V Shem/Lim Khim Wah. Now, more than a decade later, local fans will witness an all-Malaysian final as the two top pairs gear up for a thrilling showdown at the Axiata Arena tomorrow.
In a high-octane semifinal, Aaron/Soh produced a performance full of grit and firepower to overcome world No.1 and defending champions Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen 21-19, 17-21, 21-15 in just over an hour.
The world No. 3 pair, cheered on by the home crowd, took the opening game in a tight 21-19 battle. Although they dropped the second set 17-21, Aaron/Soh rebounded spectacularly, racing to a 9-2 lead and maintaining a commanding 11-3 advantage at the interval in the decider. The Danes attempted a late rally, but the Malaysians held their nerve to seal the win 21-15 in 64 minutes.
“The third game was crucial, and the crowd’s energy really pushed us through,” said Aaron. “Tomorrow, we’ll go out there, play our usual game, and enjoy the moment — win or lose, Malaysia has already sealed the title,” said Aaron.
Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun had also put on a clinical display to dispatch Japan’s world No. 20 Takuro Hoki/Yugo Kobayashi 21-12, 21-14 — registering their first win over the Japanese pair in three meetings.
“We executed our strategy well — aggressively and with minimal mistakes,” said Wei Chong. “We’ve been building momentum, and it’s all coming together at the right time.”
Tomorrow’s final will not only determine Malaysia’s new home champions but also break the deadlock in the head-to-head between the two pairs, which currently stands at 2-2.
Meanwhile, it was the end of the road for Malaysia’s top women’s pair Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan, who bowed out after a spirited fight against China’s Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian. Despite forcing a decider, the Malaysians lost 16-21, 21-15, 14-21 in a grueling 75-minute encounter.
China continued its dominant charge in the tournament, securing finalists in all four other categories — men’s singles, women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles — setting up a potential clean sweep on finals day.
