Arctic Open: Aaron Tai–Yap Roy King claim maiden Super 500 title

KUCHING: There was barely time to reset between rallies.

Every short return was quickly punished, every loose shot invited an immediate response and, with both pairs refusing to give much away, one small mistake could swing the game.

Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King held their nerve through that pressure to defeat Chinese Taipei’s Lai Po Yu and Tsai Fu Cheng 21-19, 21-19 in 41 minutes and capture the Arctic Open men’s doubles title in Finland on Sunday (Oct 11).

The opening game set the tone.

Neither pair was able to pull away as the exchanges stayed quick and tight, with Aaron and Roy King having to absorb repeated pressure before edging it 21-19.

The second followed much the same pattern. There was little room to slow things down, with both sides quick to attack anything left short and forcing each other into rapid exchanges.

Aaron and Roy King eventually found the points they needed to close out the match in straight games.

The win gave the Malaysians their first BWF World Tour Super 500 title together – and the first Super 500 crown of their respective careers.

What makes the run even more striking is that the pair arrived in Vantaa as a scratch combination, playing their first World Tour tournament together. They had already beaten Denmark’s Christian Faust Kjær and Rasmus Kjær 21-14, 21-16 in the semi-finals to reach Sunday’s title match.

From an unfamiliar partnership to Super 500 champions, Aaron and Roy King leave Finland with their first major title together – and a partnership that suddenly looks worth watching.