Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik conceded they need to work harder to find a way past opponents ranked higher than them, after the Malaysians were sent packing from French Open quarter-finals on Friday.

Their straight game defeat against reigning world champions Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae was the second consecutive loss against the South Koreans, who also ousted them at the Malaysia Open earlier this year.

Chia-Soh’s other defeat on the World Tour had come against world number one pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, which means they have only lost against the top two pairs in Malaysia, India and now France.

While that is not the worst statistic, the Malaysians know they must change their fortunes against the best.

“We have some catching up against the top pairs, be it in terms of strength, speed and our movement. It’s crucial that we analyze our opponents’ gameplay before the Paris Olympics comes along,” they said.

Against Kang-Seo, the Malaysians made unforced errors during the crucial moments of the match, especially towards the end of the first game which could have gone either way.

The South Koreans, on the other hand, were not spectacular but they kept things tight and made the Malaysians work hard for the points.

World number five Chia-Soh will take on national compatriots Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin at the All-England Open which begins on Tuesday.

The draw is a challenging one for them, because if they do proceed, will face an Indonesian pair and if they progress further could take on top seeds Shetty-Rankireddy.

Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun are the other pairs who will compete at the All-England.