KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 2 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik got their Hylo Open campaign off on the right note, battling past England’s unheralded Alex Green-Zach Russ 25-23, 21-14 in the opening round on Tuesday.
The 2022 world champions, competing in their fourth tournament in succession, were made to sweat in the first game after squandering a 19-16 lead and having to save a game point before finally converting their third opportunity to calm the nerves.
Aaron-Wooi Yik have enjoyed a fruitful European swing over the past three weeks, finishing runners-up at the Arctic Open in Finland and reaching the semi-finals of last week’s French Open.
The only blemish came at the Denmark Open, where they suffered a first-round exit.
With three titles already under their belt this season – the Thailand Open, Asia Championships and Singapore Open – the top seeds will be aiming to cap their exhausting four-tournament run in style in Saarbrucken.
They next face Czech Republic’s Jiri Kral-Ondrej Kral for a place in the quarter-finals.
World No. 4 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani also cleared their opening hurdle, staving off a spirited challenge from Scotland’s world No. 63 Alexander Dunn-Adam Pringle 21-17, 22-20.
Like their compatriots, Sze Fei-Izzuddin were forced to dig deep in the second game after allowing a 16-10 cushion to slip before regaining control at the death to close out the match.
They will next take on Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard-Mads Vestergaard in the second round.
Earlier, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun came through an all-Malaysian encounter, overcoming Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King 21-16, 19-21, 21-16, while Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi fell to Indonesia’s Bagas Maulana-Leo Rolly Carnando 21-16, 21-17
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
