After a week of stellar performances, Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen earned a well-deserved silver medal at the CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open 2024, powered by YONEX.
As the last European representatives in the tournament, the Danish pair faced Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin from Malaysia in a gripping final. The Malaysians had an impressive run, knocking out both fourth seeds Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto, as well as top seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang to secure their spot in the final.
Astrup and Rasmussen got off to a strong start, winning the first game, but Goh and Nur bounced back, finding their form to take the final in three thrilling games (15-21, 21-15, 21-19).
Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen secured their place in the final of the CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open 2024, powered by YONEX, with a solid victory over Thailand’s Kittinupong Kedren and Dechapol Puavaranukroh (21-14, 21-19).
After the match, Astrup expressed his contentment with their performance: “It was a tough match, but we maintained a high level throughout, and it paid off.”
A standout moment occurred when Rasmussen had to switch rackets mid-rally after breaking a string — something he had never done before. “It was a first for me, but it worked out, and we even won the point,” he shared.
As they look ahead to the final against Goh Sze Feiand Nur Izzuddin, Rasmussen acknowledged their opponents’ strengths while remaining confident: “They’re a strong team, physically and tactically. It’ll be a challenge, but we just need to step up our game once more.”
Europe’s campaign at the YONEX BWF World Junior Championships 2024 concluded after the quarterfinals. The top-seeded mixed doubles pair, Tom Lalot Trescarte and Elsa Jacob (FRA), were the last European hopes, making their way from the Round of 128 before bowing out in the quarters.
The duo has had an impressive year, securing several titles, including the FZ FORZA Alpes International U19 2024 and the senior-level VICTOR Latvia International 2023.
Though no European players took home a title this time, the growing talent pool across Europe shows a promising future for the continent’s badminton scene.
The Round of 16 at the CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open 2024, powered by YONEX, proved difficult for most European players, with only two doubles pairs and one singles player advancing to the quarterfinals.
Despite the tough day, exciting matchups are set for tomorrow.
Alex Lanier of France faced Nhat Nguyen from Ireland in the only all-European clash of the day. After a tight 24-22 first game, Lanier dominated the second with a 21-9 victory. He will now challenge Chou Tien Chen from Chinese Taipei, whom he previously defeated at the Japan Open.
In men’s doubles, Danish pair Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen battled Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan/Hendra Setiawan, winning a three-game thriller 21-13, 13-21, 21-9.
The English duo of Ben Lane/Sean Vendy also secured their spot in the quarterfinals after a commanding 21-13, 21-8 victory over Malaysia’s third seeds Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik.
Many European players faced early exits on the second day of the CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open 2024, but the highlight was an exhilarating all-European clash between top seed Anders Antonsen and French sensation Alex Lanier.
Ranked third in the world, Antonsen had previously lost to Lanier, who triumphed over him at the Orléans Masters last year. At just 19 years old, Lanier has been making significant strides not only in Europe but globally, competing against some of the elite players.
“It’s always a joy to play against Anders. He’s someone I’ve looked up to since I was young, and I still watch him closely. He’s incredibly clever on the court and adapts well,” expressed Lanier, reflecting on his admiration for the Dane.
In a thrilling three-game match, Lanier managed to overcome Antonsen with scores of 18-21, 21-18, 21-18. However, he was critical of his performance post-match, stating, “I can’t say I played my best today. Honestly, I felt a bit frustrated. Some of my strokes weren’t up to the quality I aim for.”
Lanier candidly discussed the mental hurdles he encountered during the game. “I’m glad I continued to fight with my coach. We tried a few strategies to help me relax and find my rhythm.”
Addressing his frustration, Lanier emphasized it stemmed more from his own game than from Antonsen’s tactics. “I think my frustration was more about my own performance and style rather than what Anders was doing.”
Looking back on his victory, Lanier felt a sense of affirmation. “I can beat the best player. Even if I’m not at my best, I can compete at that level. I’m proud to have won this match despite not being in top form.”
With the first round complete, Lanier is focused on his next steps: “I’m taking it one match at a time. That’s the most important thing at this level. I’m not fixated on reaching the semifinals or finals. My goal is to play my best and execute my game plan on court. We’ll see how it goes from there.”
Tomorrow, he will face Nhat Nguyen from Ireland, who advanced from the qualifying rounds and delivered a remarkable performance against Japan’s Takuma Obayashi. They have only faced each other once before at the Irish Open last year, where Nguyen emerged victorious in straight games. However, it will be a tougher challenge for the Irishman this time, given Lanier’s recent form.
The dynamic Malaysian duo broke new ground by defeating top seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of the CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open 2024 for the first time in four encounters on Saturday. Their thrilling comeback victory, with scores of 19-21, 21-17, 21-18, has propelled them into their third final in just five tournaments.
“We prepared thoroughly and didn’t focus on the outcome. Our priority was to perform our best, which proved to be crucial. We maintained our composure and enjoyed the match,” stated Goh after the game.
Today’s clash against defending champions Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen at the Energia Arena marks the fourth final for the world No. 8s this season. Now competing independently, they have already celebrated victories at the Japan Open and China Open, claiming their first Super 750 and Super 1000 titles, respectively.
“Since reuniting, we’ve greatly enhanced our communication, which has been beneficial for our performance,” said Izzuddin. “While we’re pleased with our play, there’s still work to be done. We need to stay focused for this next challenge.”
Second seeds Astrup and Rasmussen advanced to the final by defeating qualifiers Kittinupong Kedren and Dechapol Puavaranukroh with a score of 21-14, 21-19 in a later match. Despite their strong 6-1 record, the world No. 2 Danes are cautious about their final opponents.
“You can’t depend on just one strategy; it’s essential to be strong all over the court to defeat them. We need to elevate our game one more time to secure a chance,” remarked Rasmussen.
This final marks the first Super 500 for Goh and Izzuddin. They are currently the only Malaysian players or pairs to have secured titles at all three levels (1000, 750, and 300) of the HSBC BWF World Tour.
Professional badminton player Lee Zii Jia has withdrawn from the Denmark Open, which starts on Tuesday, October 15.
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced that Lee, ranked fifth in the world and a finalist last year, is absent from the tournament due to an ankle injury.
His condition worsened during last week’s quarterfinal match at the Arctic Open against Japan’s Koki Watanabe.
National junior head coach Jeffer Rosobin is optimistic about the newly crowned world junior champions Aaron Tai and Khai Xing becoming a formidable duo at the senior level.
The pair demonstrated their top seed status in boys’ doubles by defeating the Asian Junior champions from China, Hu Keyuan and Lin Xiangyi, with a score of 21-18, 15-21, 21-18 in an exhilarating final on Sunday. This victory marked Malaysia’s first title in the tournament in six years.
Before them, the last Malaysian champion was Goh Jin Wei, who won the girls’ singles crown in 2018.
Aaron and Khai Xing are the first Malaysians since Nelson Heg and Teo Ee Yi in 2011 to clinch the boys’ doubles title. Following their impressive junior careers, Jeffer is eager for them to evolve into a top-tier pair.
“Aaron and Khai Xing were focused, brave, and consistent, which led them to victory,” stated Jeffer. “I believe they can further enhance their skills at the senior level; they possess the qualities needed to succeed.”
The duo has already shown their potential by winning their first senior title at the Thailand International Challenge in March. They have also begun participating in World Tour Super 300 and 500 competitions this year and are currently ranked No. 72 globally.
Aaron and Khai Xing will compete next in the Malaysia Super 100 tournament, starting today at Stadium Juara.
In addition, Jeffer expressed satisfaction with the performance of the girls’ doubles team, Dania Sofea Zaidi and Low Zi Yu, who secured a silver medal at the world junior championships.
At just 14 years old, Zi Yu and Dania, who turns 17 next month, showcased exceptional maturity in their first international tournament together, reaching the final. The duo achieved a remarkable upset against China’s top seeds, Chen Fan Shutian and Liu Jiayue, in the semifinals, becoming the first girls’ doubles team since Pearly Tan and Toh Ee Wei in 2018 to advance to the final.
Although they lost to Japan’s Ririna Hiramoto and Aya Tamaki with scores of 17-21, 17-21 in the final, their performance was commendable.
“Overall, our players delivered extraordinary performances at this World Juniors,” noted Jeffer. “Zi Yu, only 14, managed to reach the final and win silver. Both she and Dania are incredibly talented and have the potential to develop into an excellent pair in the future.”
Malaysia had a successful campaign at the tournament, also securing a bronze medal in the mixed team event.
Ambitious men’s doubles players Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin credit their strong performance this year to their growing trust in each other.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin have been in excellent form recently, clinching their third title in two months at the Arctic Open on Sunday.
The world No. 8 independent pair fought hard to defeat Indonesia’s world No. 6 pair, Fajar Alfian / Rian Ardianto, China’s world No. 1 duo, Liang Weikeng / Wang Chang, and Denmark’s defending champions, Kim Astrup / Anders Skaarup Rasmussen (world No. 2), to claim the title.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin also won the Japan and China Open titles last month, and if they can maintain their hot streak, they will soon surpass the country’s No. 1 and world No. 4 pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, in the rankings.
Sze Fei stated that mutual trust is the key to their success so far, and they are eager to continue their winning ways.
“The key is to trust each other and keep moving forward, keep working hard,” Sze Fei told SPOTV after the match.
“We’ll keep doing what we’ve done over the past few weeks, which is giving our best in every match. There were many tense moments during the games, and it’s crucial that we never lose faith in each other.”
Sze Fei-Izzuddin have no time to celebrate yet, as they are set to compete in the Denmark Open, which begins today in Odense.
Izzuddin knows that maintaining their form in Denmark after a grueling week will be a tough task.
“From the quarterfinals (Arctic Open) onwards, our matches have been difficult. We need to be mentally and physically prepared,” Izzuddin said.
“It’s been a tiring week for us, and we need to get ready for Denmark once again.”
In their first-round match in Odense, Sze Fei-Izzuddin will face Taiwan’s world No. 10 pair, Lee Jhe-Huei / Yang Po-Hsuan, in what will be a challenging test.
If they win, they will likely face Denmark’s world No. 14 pair, Rasmus Kjær / Frederik Søgaard, for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Goh Tze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani triumphed at the 2024 Arctic Open in Vantaa, Finland, becoming one of the rare men’s doubles pairs to complete the BWF World Tour Series.
This accomplishment marks victories across the BWF World Tour Super 300, 500, 750, and 1000 tournaments—a feat that not all top men’s doubles pairs have achieved.
In the Arctic Open (Super 500) final, they defeated top seeds Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen from Denmark, matching the record set by Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Rian Ardianto.
The Malaysian pair has already won the 2022 German Open (Super 300), 2023 US Open (Super 300), 2024 Japan Open (Super 750), and 2024 China Open (Super 1000).
In the 2024 Arctic Open final at Vantaa Energia Arena, Fei-Din overcame a 15-21 first game loss to beat the Danish pair 21-15, 21-19.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s hopes for a second title at the Arctic Open were dashed when Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah failed to defeat top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning from China.
The Chinese duo, who had already claimed titles at the Malaysia Open, Indonesia Masters, and Japan Open earlier this year, displayed great composure in the final, winning 21-12 and 21-17 in just under an hour.
China secured a second title in the mixed doubles event with another victory by top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping.
Ranked No. 3 in the world, Feng/Huang had to battle hard for their victory against fellow Chinese pair Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin, with the intense match lasting over an hour.
Feng/Huang won the first game 21-18 but suffered a 6-21 loss in the second. However, they bounced back to take the third game 21-15, securing the title in front of the Finnish crowd.
Later, second seed Han Yue defeated Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon in the women’s singles final, giving China a third title in Finland.
The defending champion easily won 21-10, 21-13, claiming her title defense in just 39 minutes.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s All England champion Jonatan Christie fell short in the men’s singles final against Chou Tien Chen from Chinese Taipei, ending his hopes of another BWF World Tour title.
Seventh seed Chou defeated fifth seed Jonatan 21-18, 21-17, securing his second BWF World Tour title of the year.
In this week’s neighboring Super 300 event, the Macau Badminton Open, Chinese Taipei (CT) impressively fielded 35 pairs across men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles categories. Out of the 12 women’s doubles pairs that competed in the main draw, five were from Taiwan, and three made it to the quarterfinals.
This means that Indian pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand managed to defeat two CT pairs in the past two days. However, they were knocked out in the semifinals by the third Taiwanese duo, Hsieh Pei Shan and Huang En-Tzu.
The Rise of Taipei’s Doubles Dominance
The athletes from East Asia, particularly from China, Taiwan, and Japan, have been quietly perfecting their skills in training over the past Olympic cycles. They enter tournaments in large numbers, advancing at an impressive speed while steadily climbing the rankings. The Taipei team, ranked 54th, might seem unthreatening when looking at the rankings, but this is misleading, as many of their athletes have been largely absent from the international stage until the start of the new Olympic cycle.
Many of these 35 players are either young athletes in their teens or early twenties, or second or third-tier players from Taipei’s “badminton factories.” Despite their lower world rankings, their technical skills and match levels can be formidable, especially when they compete as unseeded players.
A Tough Path for Treesa and Gayatri
At 21 years old, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have already been on the circuit for three seasons, drawing significant attention. While they were the top-seeded pair in the Macau draw, winning their first Super 300 title was far from easy.
In the semifinals, they faced a more experienced Taipei pair, the 8th-seeded Hsieh Pei Shan and Huang En-Tzu, against whom they had already lost twice in the past three months. Interestingly, in Macau, PV Sindhu had won three consecutive titles and a World Championship bronze before making her mark at the Olympics, when the event was still considered a beginner-level competition.
This year, however, Taipei’s development teams, including the gold medal-winning men’s doubles pair Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin, have shone particularly brightly on the international stage.
Although none of the CT women’s doubles pairs are ranked in the world’s top 25, five pairs have suddenly surged into the top 35. Macau is one of the earliest examples of China and Chinese Taipei’s strategy to showcase their sheer numbers on the world stage. Given their foundational skill level, this is a concerning trend. These players are currently hidden somewhere on page three of the rankings, but their jumps in the rankings can be as large as 19 or 38 places as they chase smaller titles.
In contrast, a few of the top women’s doubles pairs from China, Korea, and Japan, ranked in the top 15, are gradually retiring or being reshuffled. Beneath the surface, a new wave of young talents is emerging, not just from mainland China but also from a resurgent Taipei, looking to break into the spotlight.
The Challenge for India’s Doubles Teams
Ranked 23rd, the Indian team is still grappling with some minor issues but faces a stiff challenge in terms of playing style—faster, more aggressive, and more powerful. China’s rising stars, like Liu Sheng Shu (20) and Tan Ning (21), currently ranked third in the world, have redefined the game, making it fiercer than ever before. Much like the competition in semiconductor innovation, what happens in China today likely happened in Taiwan yesterday, and the results will be seen in the coming months—badminton follows the same trend.
India has four mixed doubles pairs, and while they haven’t performed poorly, they have not made significant progress in breaking into the top 50 (with eight pairs within the top 100). However, Olympian Tanisha Crasto has been showing promise in the mixed doubles category, a format more suited to her style. The Panda sisters, Rituparna and Swetaparna, ranked 47th, along with Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra, ranked 50th, have made earnest attempts but haven’t progressed much on foreign soil. The Indian team needs to deliver standout performances to advance.
Moving Forward: Treesa and Gayatri’s Determination
As for the Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand duo, while they haven’t had a standout breakthrough in India, they will need to rise to the challenge of facing strong opponents and adapt to setbacks caused by injuries. To achieve their best, they must perform at the highest level against these powerhouse teams.
Chinese women’s singles player Xu Wenjingdefeated teammate Yin Yiqing 19-21, 23-21, 21-11 to claim the women’s singles title at the 2024 World Junior Badminton Championships.
Q: The second game was tough. How did you turn it around?
Xu Wenjing: My opponent has been very aggressive since the Asian Junior Championships, and she has improved a lot. Plus, she had the advantage of playing at home. To win this gold, I had to overcome various challenges, and this match was a great test for me.
Q: What does winning this gold medal mean to you?
Xu Wenjing: This gold medal isn’t just my personal honor; it also belongs to my coach who has been with me throughout the tournament. It’s been eight years since China won the women’s singles title at the World Junior Championships, so I’m thrilled to bring it back. I feel like I’m starting from scratch again, and if I have the chance to compete next year, my goal will still be gold.
Q: The World Junior Championships span a long period. How did you manage the transition from team events to individual competitions?
Xu Wenjing: There’s always some fatigue transitioning from team to individual events, but the 11-point format in the team matches consumes less energy. I focused on relaxing, getting treatment, and maintaining the right mindset between games. I just took each match one at a time without overburdening myself.
Q: What was the toughest moment for you?
Xu Wenjing: The second game of the final was the hardest. After losing the first game, I kept reminding myself of all the effort I had put in and that I had to push myself. Both my teammate and I wanted this championship, so I kept encouraging myself to stay focused and not let distractions get in the way. In the second game, when I managed to hold on during the key points, my confidence grew, and that momentum carried into the third game.
Q: Chen Yufei is your idol. What do you hope to learn from her?
Xu Wenjing: Chen Yufei is like an older sister to us. I know I still have areas to improve, especially in terms of my mindset and strategies. I hope to learn from her how to remain emotionally stable when facing challenges.
