Chen Wei/Du Shiyun Top Group Stage
In a dramatic turn of events, China’s second seeds, Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping, faced an unexpected challenge in their quest for the top spot in the mixed doubles group stage. The defending champions Huang Dongping and her partner Feng Yanzhe were defeated by Chen Tangjie/Du Yuwei in a three-set battle, with scores of 17-21, 21-15, 21-16.
Despite this loss not endangering their quarterfinal hopes, Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping’s defeat means they could potentially face their compatriots Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong before the finals. The quarterfinal draw will be determined after the conclusion of the group stage.
After their victory, Du was seen excitedly embracing Chen.
Chen/Du played an energetic match, maintaining their aggressive approach and constantly putting pressure on their opponents. While Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping started well, they seemed to falter under the relentless attack from their opponents. Surprisingly, the Chinese duo struggled to maintain their intensity against the Malaysian team.
“They were very determined and kept challenging us,” Huang said. “But this is not our end because we have made it to the quarterfinals, so we need to look ahead.”
Before this match, the Malaysian team knew they had previously defeated the Chinese team in three matches — during the Thailand Open in May of the previous year. In the subsequent two matches, they failed to score a point against the Chinese team.
“This is when we release the pressure,” Chen said. “The most important thing is that we managed to implement our strategy and manage ourselves well. We believe in ourselves and communicate well with each other.”
Meanwhile, in Group A, top seeds Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong secured their third consecutive victory with a 21-13, 21-14 win over Kim Won-ho/Jeong Na-eun, claiming the top spot in their group. Despite the loss, Kim Won-ho/Jeong Na-eun advanced to the quarterfinals alongside Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, eventually finishing second, ahead of Tom Giquel/Delrue and Rinoff Rivaldi/Pita Hanningtia S. Mentari.
Opti Withdraws Due to Injury
Soren Opti from Suriname had to withdraw from his match against Giovanni Totti of Italy in Group A due to a torn right knee ligament.
In the second match, Totti led 4-1 when Opti, suffering from the injury, was forced to leave the court.