Although it took national shuttlers Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King two tries to nail their Spider-Man stance, their coordination on the Kumamoto court was instantaneous.
According to The Star, pictures published on the Badminton World Federation courtside feed showed both athletes initially planning a thumbs-up until one switched over to emulate the web-slinging hero’s signature hand signal.
Five tournaments into their partnership, the world No. 57 pair are Malaysia’s last players standing at the Kumamoto Masters Japan and one win away from their second final together. The Malaysians took just 28 minutes to beat world No. 15 Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan of Taiwan 21-16, 21-12 in the quarter-finals at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
Aaron and Roy King next face Denmark’s Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard in the semi-finals. The Danish duo reached the last four by defeating Japan’s Hiroki Okamura and Kyohei Yamashita 21-14, 21-14.
Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei, who chairs the Badminton Association of Malaysia performance committee, said that reliable steadiness has stood out as the duo’s primary asset since they joined forces last month.
“Of the new combinations the coaches have put together, this pair have been quite consistent,” Lee told The Star.
“They’re still a young pair. I hope they can keep challenging the senior pairs so that they can all improve together,” he added.
Kumamoto marks Aaron and Roy King’s third semi-final appearance in five outings. Having triumphed in their very first tournament at the Arctic Open, they also advanced to the final four of the Hylo Open before bowing out to the eventual champions, Christian Kjaer and Rasmus Kjaer.
With none of the eight seeded pairs left in Japan, the Malaysians have a clear path to contend for another title. Defending champions and top seeds Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae exited in the second round after losing to fellow South Koreans Jin Yong and Jo Song-hyun.
However, the Malaysian pair face a Danish duo that has eliminated several compatriots this week. Lundgaard and Vestergaard defeated Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub and Tan Wee Kiong in the opening round before beating eighth seeds Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun in the second round.
The semi-final marks the first meeting between the two partnerships, though both Malaysians have faced the Danes previously with different partners. Past encounters included Roy King and Wan Arif Wan Junaidi defeating them at the All-England ahead of a defeat against them in the Malaysian Masters semi-finals, alongside Aaron and Kang Khai Xing being eliminated by them in the Swiss Open quarter-finals.
In the other men’s doubles semi-final, Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi face China’s Wang Chang and Xie Haonan.
Earlier coverage: Yap Roy King and Aaron Tai Reach Japan Masters Quarter-Finals
Keep reading
