Herry's men's doubles shake-up: Progress or growing pains?

Kuala Lumpur witnessed a shake-up in the men's doubles lineup, with coach Herry Iman Pierngadi defending the changes despite varied outcomes. Aaron Tai and Yap Roy King claimed the Super 500 Arctic Open title in Finland, but other new pairs encountered setbacks at the Malaysia Super 100 tournament in Johor. Kang Khai Xing-Lok and Lok Hong Quan advanced to the semi-finals, while Wan Arif Junaidi-Faiq Haziq Masawi was eliminated in the first round.

Coach Herry noted that progress is likely, as new pairs face challenges. He emphasized that the reshuffle process will continue until next year, acknowledging that "everything takes time" and "nothing happens overnight." Some new pairs are excelling, while others require more time to settle.

Following their success at the Arctic Open, Aaron Tai and Roy King faced a loss at the Denmark Open, where they were defeated by Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik. World No. 4 Chia advanced to the runner-up position alongside Indonesian No. 3 Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto. Meanwhile, Arif was sidelined due to a shoulder injury, preventing him from performing at his best during the Johor event.

Herry explained that Arif was not at his physical peak, as his shoulder condition was not fully recovered. Consequently, Arif was withdrawn from the upcoming Indonesia Masters Super 100 tournament.