KUALA LUMPUR: Men's doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani have the ability to win any World Tour events, said Lee Wan Wah.
The former men's doubles star said the quality of world No. 5 Aaron-Wooi Yik and world No. 7 Sze Fei-Izzuddin means they have a good chance of winning the season-ending World Tour Finals (WTF) title in Hangzhou on Dec 11-15.
Furthermore, the absences of world No. 1 Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang of China, world No. 2 Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Seung Jae of South Korea and Asian Games champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty of India have made the WTF an open affair.
Wan Wah pointed out that such is the quality of the Malaysians, that they will still be one of the contenders even if the three pairs had qualified for the WTF.
"Aaron-Wooi Yik and Sze Fei-Izzuddin are definitely one of the top pairs in the world. They are as good as the China, Korea and Indian pairs," said Wan Wah who is currently Japan's men's doubles Team B coach.
"Both the Malaysian pairs have beaten Wei Keng-Wang Chang, Min Hyuk-Seung Jae and Satwik-Chirag before.
"The current men's doubles scene is so intense that form during a tournament will determine the winners. So, Aaron-Wooi Yik and Sze Fei-Izzuddin's condition and form will be crucial in their title charge."
Wan Wah, however, said that Wooi Yik's toe surgery after the Paris Olympics in August has made Malaysia's top pair inconsistent although they managed to win the Korea Masters.
Sze fei-Izzuddin have been on a roll, winning the Japan Open, China Open and Arctic Open.
Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong were the last Malaysian men's pair to win the WTF in 2016.
It now appears that Malaysia may have a genuine chance to end that drought in Hangzhou.