After 12 long years, Malaysia finally reclaimed the men’s doubles crown at the PERODUA Malaysia Masters as Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun powered past top national duo Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik in a pulsating all-Malaysian final at the Axiata Arena today.
The high-octane clash was anything but a routine sparring match between training partners. Both pairs threw everything they had into a fiercely contested showdown, delighting thousands of roaring fans with their pace, power and passion.
It was a landmark win for world No. 8 Man/Tee, who added their second title of the season after triumphing at the Indonesia Masters earlier this year.
The underdogs stunned the world No. 4 Aaron/Soh in the opening game, dominating the court with their sharp defense, excellent control, and aggressive attacking play to take it 21-11 in just 12 minutes. Aaron/Soh, however, responded in kind, regrouping to level the match with a 21-15 win in the second game.
The decider was a tense affair early on, with both sides exchanging points before Man/Tee pulled away. Maintaining composure under pressure, the younger pair surged ahead 18-12 and held firm to close out the match 21-16 in 50 minutes. They pocketed the winner’s prize of USD 37,525 and, more importantly, ended Malaysia’s decade-long title drought on home soil.
Meanwhile, China completed a dominant run at the tournament, sweeping all four other titles on offer.
In the men’s singles final, Li Shifeng cruised past former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth of India 21-11, 21-9 in just 36 minutes to claim his first World Tour title of the year and China’s first-ever men’s singles crown at the Malaysia Masters.
Wang Zhiyi staged a comeback to beat compatriot and world No. 3 Han Yue 13-21, 21-13, 21-18 and successfully defended her women’s singles title.
In the women’s doubles, Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning clinched the championship, while second seeds Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping took the mixed doubles title, capping off China’s flawless finals day.
