Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan Secure Narrow Victory Over Chen Kongle/Tina in a Thrilling Showdown on Day 1 of the Olympics

Jayce September 6, 2024 7 0

On the first day of the Olympics, in a highly anticipated clash of the “Group of Death” in Group A of the women’s doubles, Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan narrowly defeated Chen Kongle/Tina with a score of 2-0 (21-17, 22-20) to secure a winning start.

Despite recent injuries and a period of team instability for Chen Kongle/Tina, which even led to discussions about disbanding, they had previously bested Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan at the All England Open this year. Group A also features two other top-ranked pairs: Matsumoto Mayu/Yonemoto Wakana (Japan) and Lahayu/Ramandanti (Indonesia), making every match crucial for qualification to the knockout stages.

Historically, Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan have a favorable record of 6 wins and 1 loss against Chen Kongle/Tina. They comfortably won the first game 21-17. The second game was tightly contested, with the Malaysian pair managing to level the score at 14-all after trailing 12-9.

In the crucial moments of the second game, Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan displayed exceptional defensive skills, maintaining a slight lead of 1-2 points. At 18-16, with the Malaysian pair trailing by 2 points, they called for a court wipe, using the opportunity to adjust their strategy. However, at 18-17, the Malaysian pair made an error with a service fault.

During the subsequent key points, Jia Yifan combined aggressive smashes and precise drops, forcing the Malaysian pair into a defensive position and allowing the Chinese duo to reach match point at 20-18. Despite losing the next 2 points due to excessive pursuit of shot quality, Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan regained their composure and secured the match with a 22-20 win.