KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's interest in the Super 750 Malaysia Open came to an end today when men's doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik crashed out in the semi-finals.
The world No 6, who have yet to break their title drought, went down in straight games 23-21, 21-9 to world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi of Japan.
It was Aaron-Wooi Yik's fourth consecutive defeat to the Japanese pair since the Sudirman Cup in Vantaa, Finland, last year. The Malaysian Olympic bronze medallists have defeated the Japanese pair only twice in seven meetings.
"We were leading in the first game, but we messed it up at the crucial moment, and that seems to be our biggest problem.
"We really need to go back to the drawing board to try and figure out what happened. Whether it's a semi-final or final problem, we need to sit with our coaches and figure this out. It's a major problem for us," Aaron lamented.
Hoki-Kobayashi, playing in only their second final this season after winning the Thailand Open in May, will face world No 7 Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia next for the crown.
Fajar-Rian, fresh from winning the Indonesia Masters last month, had made short work of Malaysia's Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani with a 21-14, 21-12 win in the semi-final.
In the men's singles, Japan's Kento Momota is set for a showdown with world No 1 Viktor Axelsen of Denmark after reaching his first World Tour final in nine months.
Momota, who has not won a title since the Indonesia Masters last year, defeated Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-11, 21-12 while Axelsen was made to slog for a 21-15, 20-22, 21-11 win over seventh seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.
When the two heavyweights last met on Malaysian soil two years ago, Momota came out tops to clinch the Malaysia Masters title.
Momota said: "I am very happy to have come this far in the competition. I am not entirely confident, but I really want to do my best for the people of Malaysia. For everybody here has been very supportive."
Axelsen, however, will start as favourite, especially after winning two back-to-back titles - the Indonesia Open and Indonesia Masters last month.
RESULTS
SEMI-FINALS
(Malaysians unless stated)
Men's singles: Kento Momota (Jpn) bt Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) 21-11, 21-12; Viktor Axelsen (Den) bt Jonatan Christie (Ina) 21-15, 20-22, 21-11
Women's singles: Ratchanok Intanon (Tha) bt Wang Zhi Yi (Chn) 21-8, 21-18; Chen Yu Fei (Chn) bt Tai Tzu Ying (Tai) 19-21, 21-13, 21-15.
Men's doubles: Fajar Alfian-Rian Ardianto (Ina) bt Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani 21-14, 21-12; Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi (Jpn) bt Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik 23-21, 21-9
Women's doubles: Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (Ina) bt Jeong Na Eun-Kim Hye Jeong (Kor) 21-14, 22-20; Zhang Shu Xian-Zheng Yu (Chn) bt Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara (Jpn) 11-21, 21-19, 21-17.
Mixed doubles: Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) bt Wang Yi Lyu-Huang Dong Ping (Chn) 23-21, 19-21, 21-14; Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong (Chn) bt Mathias Christiansen-Alexandra Boje (Den) 21-18, 21-8