Jayce
On September 6, the Badminton World Federation officially announced that Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang, in their fifth tournament as a pair, gave their all to defeat the Danish duo Astrup/Rasmussen, winning their first Super 750 title.
Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang
2022 Japan Open Badminton Championships | Full Replay
In the men’s doubles final of the 2022 Japan Open held last weekend, the Chinese duo, who have only been playing together for four months, won against the tournament’s 7th seeds with scores of 21-18, 13-21, and 21-17.
Liang Weikeng admitted that this victory was a “dream come true.” “Wanting to win is certain; we came to compete for the championship, but we didn’t expect our dream to come true,” he said with a smile.
Throughout the match, Liang Weikeng maintained a strong form, delivering powerful smashes from the baseline.
After defeating this year’s World Championship runners-up Ahsan/Setiawan and Alfian/Ardianto, Wang Chang acknowledged that they had a clear plan for the matches. They reached their first final at the Indonesia Masters in June but lost to Alfian/Ardianto.
“When we started the tournament, we didn’t think much about winning the title. Each round, we faced strong opponents, so our focus was on defeating our current opponents.”
What was the key to their victory?
“Patience,” said Liang Weikeng. “We analyzed their match videos and found that the Danes were very patient in long rallies and performed well. So, our plan was to match their patience, play each rally well, and be prepared for long rallies.”
Since making their debut at the Thailand Open in May, the 21-year-old pair is currently ranked 88th in the BWF world rankings, but they hope to achieve a higher ranking.
“This championship has undoubtedly boosted our confidence. Our next goal is to enter the top 20 by the end of the year.”
