Asian Games: Aaron-Wooi Yik settle for bronze after defeat to Rankireddy-Shetty

The Malaysian badminton contingent ended their Asian Games campaign with a bronze medal after men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik lost in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Chia-Soh were upstaged 17-21, 12-21 by India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, who were on top of their game to book a deserved final against South Korea's Choi Sol-gyu-Kim Won-ho.

The Malaysians matched the Indians for the first part of the first game, before Rankireddy-Shetty began to pull away thanks to their impeccable defence.

Securing the lead only added fuel to the Asian Championships winners, who dominated the second game from start to end for the deserved win.

Chia-Soh can still hold their heads up having progressed the furthest of the national contingent that saw four representatives crash out in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

The world number five pair also became the latest men's doubles pair to win a medal at the Asian Games since Tan Wee Kiong-Goh V Shem last delivered bronze at the 2014 edition.

Gotta admit the Indians came with a better play today.But anyways, satu gangsa lagi buat Malaysia dari kem badminton! @ASTROARENA #AsianGames2022 pic.twitter.com/zs5bNQzbGa
— Fariha Razak (@farihaarazak) October 6, 2023

Other final match-ups see Li Shi Feng and Shi Yu Qi contest an all-Chinese men's singles final.

Zheng Si Wei-Huang Ya Qiong and Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino square off against each other in the mixed doubles final, while top seed An Se-young will aim to prolong her dominance in the women's singles against home favourite Chen Yu Fei.