Jayce
On August 29th, the second round of the Korean Badminton Open concluded. The Chinese team achieved 9 wins and 7 losses on the day. In a mixed doubles “derby,” rising stars Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi narrowly defeated their world number three teammates, Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin, in a deciding game that went to deuce, securing a spot in the quarterfinals.
Mixed doubles is considered China’s strongest event, having won 2 golds and 1 silver in the last two Olympics, and sweeping the top three positions in the latest world rankings, highlighting fierce internal competition. Among them, Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin ranked third, had outstanding performances last season, and were highly anticipated in the new Olympic cycle. Last week, they claimed the title at the Super 750 Japan Open, achieving their third consecutive win of the season and rising to third in the world rankings.
Born in 2002, Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi are only a year or two younger than the Jiang-Wei duo. This season, they won one title and one runner-up in a Super 300 event while briefly pairing with other players. After the Olympics, Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi reunited, and although they lost to Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin in the semifinals last week, their world ranking surged to 31st.
In their latest encounter, Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi led throughout the first game, winning 21-17. However, Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin equalized with a 21-16 win in the second game. In the deciding game, both young pairs fought fiercely, saving two match points each. Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi seized their third match point opportunity, winning 25-23. Other new Chinese mixed doubles pairs had mixed results: Guo Xinwa and Li Qian advanced with a comeback victory over local players, while Zhou Zhihong and Yang Jiayi narrowly lost and were eliminated.
In other events, the three seeded men’s singles players—Shi Yuqi, Li Shifeng, and Lu Guangzu—progressed smoothly, while Lei Lanxi was reversed by defending champion, Denmark’s Anders Antonsen. In women’s singles, second seed Wang Zhi Yi and third seed Han Yue advanced to the quarterfinals, while eighth seed Zhang Yiman was defeated 0-2 by local favorite Shen Youzhen.
In men’s doubles, Xie Haonan and Zeng Weihang lost 1-2 to local veterans Jin Ki Jung and Kim Ha Rang. Second seeds He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu won in straight games against Chen Baiyang and Liu Yi, advancing to the quarterfinals. In women’s doubles, only one pair remains after two rounds—fifth seeds Li Yijing and Luo Xumin progressed, while seventh seeds Zhang Shuxian and Kong Shuliang were upset by the Chinese Taipei pair Deng Shunxun and Yang Zhuyun.
