The world No. 1 was tripped up again by a nemesis.
The world No. 1 pair Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae lost 0-2 (14-21, 18-21) to the world No. 4 Malaysian pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in the men’s doubles semifinals of the 2026 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Denmark Open (Super 750) at SJF Bank Arena in Odense, Denmark, on the 17th (Korea time), failing to win the title.
Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae, who only won bronze at the Asian Games, continued their slump by failing to win the Denmark Open as well. Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae have now failed to win eight consecutive tournaments, putting even their world No. 1 status in jeopardy. They also lost their head-to-head against Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, falling to 3-3.
The match was fierce early on, befitting a clash between top world-class pairs. South Korea fell behind 1-4 after conceding four consecutive points to Malaysia’s fast net play. Malaysia later failed a challenge after a line-out. South Korea regained momentum as they closed to 4-5.
After as many as 29 consecutive rallies, Seo Seung-jae made an error. South Korea continued to yield the initiative at 6-9. Seo Seung-jae’s smash landed effectively. South Korea tied for the first time at 10-10. Malaysia’s smash succeeded, leaving South Korea down 10-11 at the break.
As the second half progressed, South Korea’s attack came alive. The opponent could not handle Seo Seung-jae’s attack. South Korea achieved their first lead at 13-11.
Suddenly faltering, South Korea conceded seven consecutive points and found themselves in a crisis at 13-18. Malaysia’s attacking error doused the immediate danger. But South Korea still trailed 14-18. Ultimately, Kim Won-ho’s attack hit the net, and South Korea conceded the first set 14-21.
South Korea resolved to recover in the second set. But Malaysia’s net play was too precise. After as many as 32 rallies, Kim Won-ho’s shot hit the net. Seo Seung-jae was struck on the head by the opponent’s shuttlecock. The early stage remained tight at 6-6.
South Korea struggled as they were outmatched in fast net play. Exchanging errors, the score became 9-9. Seo Seung-jae’s cut succeeded, and they entered the break leading 11-10.
Three consecutive errors from Seo Seung-jae saw South Korea quickly fall behind 12-16. With nowhere to retreat, South Korea charged back to 14-16. But Kim Won-ho then committed a crucial service error. Seo Seung-jae also failed to return. The deficit had already widened to 14-18, and South Korea’s chances looked bleak.
South Korea calmly chased two points. But after 32 rallies, the shuttlecock hit the net on Seo Seung-jae’s shot and failed to go over, an unlucky break. A Malaysian error brought South Korea back to 18-19.
At that point, a mistake by Kim Won-ho handed Malaysia match point. Seo Seung-jae’s error confirmed South Korea’s defeat. The slump for Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae extended even in Europe. With this result, the only remaining Korean contender for the Denmark Open title is women’s singles player Ahn Se-young.
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