Top Japan pair lose and Aaron-Wooi Yik sneak into World Tour Finals

Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik. - AFP

PETALING JAYA: Japan's Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi's defeat in the quarter-finals of the China Masters has turned out to be a blessing for men's doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.

The Paris Olympic Games bronze medal winners have now qualified for the World Tour Finals from Dec 11-15 in Hangzhou.

Aaron-Wooi Yik's hopes of making the cut took a hit when they also went down to home pair He Jiting-Ren Xiangyu in the quarter-finals on Saturday (Nov 22).

But the world No. 5 pair still managed to sneak in after Hoki-Kobayashi lost to South Korea's Jin Yong-Seo Seung-jae in the last eight.

Aaron-Wooi Yik, who are currently ninth in the Race to Hangzhou rankings, will move up to seventh.

Only the top eight pairs will get to compete in the Finals.

Malaysia have another representative in the men's doubles as independent duo Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani have already qualified as the fourth ranked pair.