KUALA LUMPUR: Yap Roy King has dubbed his partner Aaron Tai the new “Kevin Sanjaya”, drawing comparisons with the explosive Indonesian men’s doubles ace after the Malaysians added the Kumamoto Masters title to their growing collection on Sunday.
Playing in only their fifth World Tour event together, world No. 56 Aaron-Roy King staged a superb comeback to defeat former world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi 16-21, 21-13, 21-15 in 55 minutes, silencing the Japanese pair’s home crowd.
Aaron displayed razor-sharp reflexes, lightning speed and an ability to finish off rallies, traits that have drawn comparisons with Kevin’s trademark style.
The pint-sized Malaysian also bears a physical resemblance to the Indonesian.
Kevin held the world No. 1 spot for 272 weeks alongside Markus Fernaldi Gideon, beginning in 2017.
The Indonesians, nicknamed the “Minions” because of their relatively short stature, won more than 40 international titles before going their separate ways in 2024.
“Aaron plays like Kevin Sanjaya,” Roy King told the Badminton_Images portal.
“Although our partnership became permanent after the Hylo Open, I feel there is still a lot for us to learn. We want to take things slowly, one step at a time.”
Aaron, meanwhile, stayed true to his soft-spoken nature as he expressed his delight at their comeback triumph.
“I feel extremely happy to win this title,” he said.
National men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi, who has been experimenting with new combinations, unleashed his latest find, Aaron-Roy King, during last month’s European swing, and the pair enjoyed instant success.
They won their first tournament together at the Super 500 Arctic Open before reaching the semi-finals of the Hylo Open, prompting Herry to announce them as a permanent combination after the German tournament.
Herry’s faith has been rewarded again, with the Malaysians capturing their second World Tour crown in Japan and showing tremendous resolve to overcome the 2021 world champions after dropping the opening game.
World No. 10 Hoki-Kobayashi saved four match points in the deciding game, fighting back from 20-11 to 20-15, but Aaron-Roy King regained their composure to seal the victory.
Their fearless approach also earned them their third top-10 scalp.
They had beaten compatriots and world No. 5 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani in the last 16 in Kumamoto, having also defeated Indonesia’s world No. 7 Sabar Karyaman-Moh Reza Isfahani at the same stage of the Hylo Open last month.
Herry also groomed Kevin-Markus during his time as Indonesia’s men’s doubles chief and will be delighted to have unearthed a player in Aaron with similar qualities, hopefully with comparable success.
Aaron-Roy King will look to continue their surge at the Super 500 Hong Kong Open, which begins on Tuesday.