Guo Xinwa recently finished as runner-up at the Korea Open with Li Qian. However, this week at the 2024 China Badminton Open, he partnered with Chen Fanghui. Unfortunately, the duo lost 1-2 to the Danish pair Mads/Boje in the first round.
After the match, Guo Xinwa posted an apology: “The Changzhou Open ended today, and I’m sorry I couldn’t win the match and disappointed everyone. I really wanted to perform well in front of my home crowd and deliver an exciting match, but I have to accept the loss, regroup, and prepare for the upcoming tournaments. Thank you to everyone who came to cheer for me at the venue and for those who continue to support me. I wish everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.”
The final Super 1000 event of the 2024 BWF World Tour, the China Open, will kick off on September 17 in Changzhou, Jiangsu, coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival. According to the latest information from the Chinese Badminton Association on September 16, and the draw released by the event organizers, China’s top women’s singles player and Tokyo Olympic champion, Chen Yufei, as well as Paris Olympic mixed doubles champions, Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, will not be participating in this tournament. While fans may be disappointed by their absence, China’s objective remains unchanged: to achieve strong results in all five events, reach the finals in each, and secure as many titles as possible on home soil.
Following the Thomas and Uber Cup, this is the second top-level badminton event held in China this year, and the last Super 1000 event of the 2024 BWF World Tour. The China Open has attracted more than 200 top athletes from 21 countries and regions, with a total prize pool of $2 million, and increased ranking points. Unfortunately, the Chinese Badminton Association’s latest entry list, released on September 16, confirms that newly crowned Olympic mixed doubles champions Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong will not participate, despite being listed as the top seeds on the initial draw just last week. Additionally, China’s top women’s singles player, Chen Yufei, will also be absent. Reports had suggested she would return at the China Open, but she has opted to protect her ranking after the Paris Olympics, and her participation was never confirmed. It is now official that Chen Yufei will continue to stay off the court.
Despite these absences, China is still sending a strong lineup, determined to perform well at this important home tournament.
China’s men’s singles players are led by Paris Olympic participants Shi Yuqi and Li Shifeng, with Lu Guangzu, Weng Hongyang, and Lei Lanxi also competing. On the international front, nearly all the world’s top players have arrived in Changzhou, including Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medalists Viktor Axelsen, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and Lee Zii Jia, as well as Kento Momota, Chou Tien-Chen, and others. It will be a tough battle for China to secure the men’s singles title.
In women’s singles, China’s Wang Zhiyi, Han Yue, Zhang Yiman, and Gao Fangjie are all placed in the top half of the draw, which is not an ideal situation. The top two seeds are Paris Olympic champion An Se-Young and Chinese Taipei’s veteran Tai Tzu-Ying, with Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi also in the mix. Apart from the injured Spanish player Carolina Marín and Chen Yufei, almost all of the world’s top female players are present.
In men’s doubles, all eyes are on the much-anticipated return of Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, the Paris Olympic silver medalists. The duo had missed the Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong Opens after the Olympics but are back on the court for this event, bolstering China’s hopes of claiming the men’s doubles title. They are also the reigning champions of this event and are aiming to defend their title. China’s other men’s doubles pairs include Xie Haonan/Zeng Weihang and Chen Boyang/Liu Yi.
In women’s doubles, the biggest change for China is the new pairing of Paris Olympic champion Jia Yifan with Zheng Yu. They are seeded fifth in this tournament, while Chen Qingchen is temporarily away from the team and will miss the event. On the morning of September 16, Jia Yifan and Zheng Yu began training to adapt to the court, and although this is their first time partnering, they are expected to improve their coordination as they go. Paris Olympic silver medalists Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning and the Chinese pair Li Yijing/Luo Xumin are also in the bottom half of the women’s doubles draw. Japan’s popular duo Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama, bronze medalists at the Paris Olympics, will also be competing.
In mixed doubles, despite the absence of Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, China still has a strong chance of winning this event. The team’s second pair, Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping, the newly crowned Hong Kong Open champions Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin, as well as Guo Xinwa/Chen Fanghui and Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi, all have great potential to contend for the title.
Mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin impressed in the Hong Kong Open, reaching the quarter-finals of a World Tour Super 500 event for the first time. They hope to build on this momentum.
Since being paired last November, Pang Ron-Su Yin had struggled in higher-tier tournaments, but they finally made a breakthrough yesterday at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Kowloon, defeating Taiwan’s Lin Bing-wei-Lin Chih-chun 21-14, 21-15.
A day earlier, the world No. 40 pair stunned Singapore’s world No. 15 Terry Hee-Jessica Tan in the opening match.
Before this year, Pang Ron-Su Yin only made it past the early rounds once in the Super 300 Orleans Masters, where they reached the semi-finals. Pang Ron expressed his satisfaction with their performance in Hong Kong, saying that he believes they are heading in the right direction.
“Su Yin and I controlled the game better today (yesterday) compared to the first round,” Pang Ron said. “We tried to minimize mistakes, and eventually, things improved for us. This has boosted our confidence. Of course, we still have a lot to work on, but at least we know we’re on the right path. Our partnership is getting stronger day by day.”
However, Pang Ron-Su Yin now face a tough challenge in the quarter-finals today against China’s top seeds Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping.
Meanwhile, Korean Open champions Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei have also advanced to the quarter-finals. Tang Jie-Ee Wei won the first game 21-14 and led 4-1 in the second against home pair Reginald Lee-Ng Tsz Yau when the latter retired due to injury.
The world No. 9 Malaysians will next face China’s world No. 49 Guo Xinwa-Chen Fanghui for a place in the semi-finals.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei had defeated Guo Xinwa and his former partner Li Qian in the Korean Open final two weeks ago.
In men’s singles, Leong Jun Hao narrowly missed an opportunity as he lost 14-21, 21-15, 22-24 to Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu. The world No. 29 made a strong comeback to win the second game after dropping the first to the world No. 15, but could not hold on despite leading 12-5 in the decider and squandering two match points at 20-19 and 21-20.
Following the conclusion of the Paris Olympics, the badminton world has now entered the Los Angeles cycle, with the Japan Open and Korea Open held successively. Although many of the stars who participated in the Paris Olympics were absent from these events, there were still many highlights. In this new cycle, young players have stepped onto the stage and begun showcasing their talents. The Chinese badminton team also used these two tournaments to experiment with new doubles pairings and provide young players with opportunities to gain experience.
At the Japan Open, the Chinese team won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles titles. In the Los Angeles cycle, China still boasts strong pairings in these two events. Olympic women’s doubles silver medalists, Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, continued their strong form from Paris. As the second seeds, they advanced to the finals after defeating Malaysia’s top pair Chen Tang Jie and Thinaah Muralitharan, as well as Chinese teammates Jia Yifan and Li Wenmei in the quarterfinals. In the final, they faced top-seeded Korean duo Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee. The “Sheng-Tan” pair triumphed 21-18, 22-20, defeating their opponents again after a quarterfinal victory at the Olympics, securing their third title of the season. With their experience at the Olympics, the duo has become more mature and composed when facing difficult situations. Born in 2004 and 2003, respectively, Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning have not only maintained their aggressive playing style but have also developed greater synergy. In the Los Angeles cycle, they are expected to become the leaders of Chinese women’s doubles.
In mixed doubles, the “post-2000s” pairing of Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin, already ranked fifth in the world during the Paris cycle, missed out on the Paris Olympics due to the strong competition from Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong and Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping. However, in the Los Angeles cycle, they have naturally become the new hope for Chinese mixed doubles. At the Japan Open final, they comfortably defeated Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet 21-12, 21-12, securing their third World Tour title of the year. Notably, with this victory, their world ranking is set to rise to third, and the Chinese mixed doubles team now occupies the top three spots in the latest world rankings released this week.
In addition to Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning and Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin, many young players also made appearances in these two tournaments. In women’s doubles, Olympic champion Jia Yifan partnered with Li Wenmei at the Japan Open. Newly formed pairings, Kong Xianying/Zhang Shuxian, and Li Yijing/Luo Xumin, also competed at both the Japan and Korea Opens. In men’s doubles, post-2000s pairings such as Xie Haonan/Zeng Weihuan, Chen Boyang/Liu Yi, as well as newcomers Huang Di/Zhou Haodong, made their debut at the Korea Open. Besides Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin, young mixed doubles teams like Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi, Guo Xinwa/Li Xi, and Zhou Zhihong/Yang Jiayi also tested their skills through match play, with hopes of developing better chemistry and deepening the talent pool for Chinese mixed doubles in the new cycle.
In singles, the Chinese team has yet to see any standout newcomers in these two tournaments. However, the men’s singles scene in the global badminton world has witnessed a youth storm. 19-year-old French player Christo Popov Lanier emerged as the biggest dark horse at the Japan Open, defeating top players like sixth-seed Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, Indonesia’s Shesar Hiren Rhustavito, Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto, and China’s top player Shi Yuqi to reach the final. In the final, Lanier faced Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei, winning 21-17, 22-20 to claim the title, making him the biggest surprise of the first tournament in the new cycle.
Jeong Na-eun and Kim Hye-jeong defied the odds to capture the Women’s Doubles title at the Korea Open 2024, held at the Mokpo Indoor Stadium in Seoul. The sixth-seeded pair, who have risen from a world No. 3 ranking in 2022 to their current No. 20 spot, delivered a stellar performance in front of their home crowd.
In the final, Na-eun and Hye-jeong faced off against the fourth-seeded Malaysian duo, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah. Despite Tan and Thinaah’s impressive run, which included a semifinal victory over the top-seeded Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee, they struggled in the final. Jeong and Kim clinched victory with a decisive 12-21, 11-21 scoreline, marking their second Korea Open title and their fourth BWF World Tour win.
Korea’s Mixed Results in Other Categories
Korea’s success continued with a Women’s Singles title, though it came via a walkover. Seventh-seeded Kim Ga-eun did not need to break a sweat as second-seeded Wang Zhi Yi from China withdrew, awarding Kim the title without a match.
However, Korea’s bid for a third title fell short in the Men’s Doubles. Top-seeded Kang Min-yuk and Seo Seung-jae were outplayed by Indonesia’s seventh-seeded duo, Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana. Despite losing the first set 8-21, Carnando and Maulana mounted a remarkable comeback to win the next two sets 21-9, 21-8, securing their first BWF World Tour title of the year.
Malaysian Victory in Mixed Doubles
In the Mixed Doubles final, Malaysian pair Chen Tang Jie and To Ee Wei held their ground against unranked opponents Guo Xin Wa and Li Qian from China. The fourth-seeded Malaysians displayed remarkable composure in a grueling match that lasted nearly an hour. They emerged victorious with a 17-21, 21-13, 21-13 win, marking their first BWF World Tour title of the year and their third overall.
China Secures Men’s Singles Title
Despite the mixed results, China claimed a title at the Korea Open with Lu Guang Zu winning the Men’s Singles crown. The seventh-seeded Lu, currently ranked No. 13 in the world, overcame a tough challenge from Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia-hao with a 21-16, 20-22, 21-18 victory in a 68-minute battle, earning his first title of the year.
Lu Guangzu won the men’s singles title at the Korea Open with scores of 21-16, 20-22, and 21-18 against Taiwan’s Lee Chia-hao, securing the sole championship for the Chinese national team at this event.
In the first set, Lu Guangzu gradually pulled ahead after a 3-all tie, winning 21-16.
In the second set, Lu Guangzu started strong with a 6-0 lead, but Lee Chia-hao fought back. Despite Lu Guangzu equalizing at 20-all, Li Jiahao won the set 22-20.
In the decisive third set, Lu Guangzu began to pull away after a 14-all tie. Although Lee Chia-hao came close at 18-19, Lu Guangzu secured the final victory with a score of 21-18.
Lee Chia-hao performed exceptionally well, defeating the 3rd seed Li Shi-feng in the quarterfinals and the 8th seed Lin Chun-yi in the semifinals, marking his first career appearance in a Super 500 final.
While three Chinese representatives reached the finals, Wang Zhi-yi withdrew from the women’s singles final, and Guo Xinwa/Li Qian lost to Malaysia’s Chen Tangjie/Toh Ee Wei in the mixed doubles final. Only Lu Guangzu claimed a title.
Chen Tangjie and Toh Ee Wei overcame Guo Xinwa and Li Qian in a three-set comeback to claim their first international title of the year.
In the finals of the Korea Open today, Malaysia’s 4th seeds Chen Tangjie and Toh Ee Wei came back from a set down to defeat the Chinese dark horses Guo Xinwa and Li Qian with scores of 17-21, 21-13, and 21-13, winning their first international encounter.
After reaching finals at the Thailand Masters and Swiss Open, Chen Tangjie and Toh Ee Wei finally secured their first international title of the year. This victory marks their return to the winner’s circle after 14 months since the Chinese Taipei Open in June last year, and it is their first Super 500 title. Previously, they had won the Orleans Masters and Chinese Taipei Open, both of which were Super 300 events.
In the first set, Chen Tangjie and Toh Ee Wei fell behind after a 3-all tie, trailing 8-15 at one point. Despite closing the gap to 14-16, they eventually lost the set 17-21.
In the second set, Chen Tangjie and Toh Ee Wei started strong with a 4-0 lead. Although Guo Xinwa and Li Qian closed the gap to 3 points, Chen Tangjie and Toh Ee Wei quickly regained control, leading 17-6 after an 8-0 run and eventually won 21-13.
In the decisive third set, Chen Tangjie and Toh Ee Wei allowed their opponents to reduce their lead to 2 points (13-11) after being up 13-8. However, they then scored 5 straight points from 16-13 to secure the final victory with a score of 21-13.
