Jayce
1. Two Post-2000 Pairs Shine at Japan Open
The Paris Olympics have barely ended, and badminton has already entered a “youth storm” adjustment phase. Many seasoned players from the Olympics are taking a well-deserved break, while new stars are emerging like spring bamboo shoots, unstoppable!
In the Japan Open, most of the Olympic veterans from the Chinese team chose to stay home and recharge, sending only a few top players and young talents. Two pairs of “millennial babies” made it to the finals and clinched the titles. Especially the “Duck” pair—Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin—successfully achieved a “three consecutive championships” feat in this year’s tour, soaring up the world rankings. In tomorrow’s World Badminton Federation (BWF) rankings, the Chinese mixed doubles will occupy the top three spots.
Next, the “Holy Altar” pair—Tan Ning and Liu Shengshu—seems to have hit their stride this season, winning the silver medal in women’s doubles at the Paris Olympics. This time, as the second seeds in the Japan Open, they defeated several strong opponents and, after the Olympics, overcame the Korean pair Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee to win the title.
2. French Teenager Laniers: The “Super New Star” of the Dark Horse
Speaking of dark horses, French teenager Laniers, 19, who is roughly contemporaneous with China’s Hu Zhe’an, has become a “bomb disposal expert” on the court. He has taken down top players such as Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, Indonesia’s Ziko, Japan’s Nishimoto Kenta, China’s Shi Yuqi, and Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen, eventually winning the men’s singles title in a stunning upset. Laniers has also reached the finals of the Super 500 Canada Open and the Super 750 Japan Open, while Hu Zhe’an is still making his way in international events, without qualification for higher-level tournaments. Shi Yuqi may face Laniers again in the second round of the Korean Open this week, making for an exciting rematch.
3. Pair Splits and Recombination: New Teams Making Waves
After the Olympics, many pairs have opted for a split and recombination, and the results have been strikingly immediate! The “Fangchen” pair, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan, both sought new partners after their Olympic victory. Jia Yifan’s new partnership with Li Wenmei made an impressive debut by reaching the semifinals, though they ultimately fell short against the “Holy Stage” pair, their first collaboration reaching the top four is commendable.
Similarly, from Chinese Taipei, Li Yang retired after their Olympic win, and Wang Chi-lin teamed up with 21-year-old Chiu Hsiang-tung. This new duo defeated Indonesia’s Boe/Tan and is showing strong performance. Indonesian teams like Kurniawan/Maulana and Fikri/Marthin have also made it to the semifinals. It seems the trend of splitting and recombining pairs has swept through the badminton world. However, whether these new combinations can maintain or improve their performance remains to be seen.
