KUALA LUMPUR: National men’s doubles, Kang Khai Xing-Aaron Tai, created a sensation when they took only 42 minutes to eliminate world’s fourth-ranked duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty of India, in the first round of the 2026 All England Championships today.
In the action at the Utilita Arena Birmingham, the opening set was intense when both pairs traded points before Khai Xing-Aaron’s composure at the crucial moment allowed them to take control of the first set 23-21.
The 2024 world junior champions, who are currently ranked 33rd in the world, then stepped up their tempo in the second set to end the challenge of Satwiksairaj-Chirag with a more comfortable 21-12 victory to secure a straight set victory.
Khai Xing-Aaron, who are making their debut in the prestigious tournament, will next face either the Chinese pair, Chen Bo Yang-Liu Yi or Zhi Wei He-Huang Jui Hsuan of Taiwan in the fight for a slot in the quarterfinals. – BERNAMA
