Petaling Jaya — Malaysia's Aaron Tai-Soh Wooi Yik reflected positively on his partnership with senior player Woo Yik during their recent showing at the China Masters, despite the pair exiting in the quarter-finals. The tournament, held at the Shenzhen Arena, marked their first and potentially only outing together, yielding valuable experience for the younger Tai.

The duo faced a tough challenge in the quarter-finals against former world No. 4 Chinese pair He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu, narrowly losing in three sets 16-21, 21-17, 16-21. Earlier in the competition, Tai and Woo Yik caused an upset by defeating the world No. 10 pair Chen Boyang and Liu Yi in the second round, highlighting the potential of their partnership.

Tai credited the experience of playing alongside different partners over recent months for his development. “I personally really enjoyed playing with my senior and I want to thank him for taking care of me on court,” Tai said in a post-match interview conducted by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Woo Yik praised Tai’s composure and performance against high-caliber opponents despite their brief partnership. “We fought until the end and Aaron Tai played quite well. We were up against a top pair, so we needed to cut down on our errors and I also made some mistakes. But overall, we gave them a very tough fight,” he remarked.

Tai has also been gaining experience with other senior players. He paired with Aaron Chia to finish as runners-up at the Taiwan Open, demonstrating his growing adaptability in different combinations. This approach follows a reshuffling strategy implemented by men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi, who has been experimenting with various pairings to boost the national team’s performance.

Looking ahead, the reshuffle will continue at the Arctic Open scheduled from October 6 to 11. Chia is set to partner Tee Kai Wun, Woo Yik will team up with Choong Hon Jian, and Tai will join forces with Yap Roy King. After the Arctic Open, Woo Yik is expected to reunite with Aaron Chia starting with the Denmark Open.

The ongoing adjustments reflect the coaching staff’s efforts to identify the most effective combinations for international competition, providing younger players like Tai with critical exposure alongside experienced teammates.