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.”
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.
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.
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.
The opening two days of the 2024 LI-NING Hong Kong Open have been full of ups and downs for European badminton players.
Day one saw an unexpected early exit from top-seeded pair Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen. On the second day, European athletes experienced a similar blend of successes and setbacks.
While Christo Popov, Line Højmark Kjærsfeldt, Rasmus Gemke, Mads Vestergaard/Christine Busch, and Viktor Axelsen progressed to the Round of 16, notable players like Toma Junior Popov and Mia Blichfeldt were knocked out of the competition.
Unseeded duo Huang Di and Zhou Hao Dong, playing in only their second tournament together, delivered the most surprising result on Day 1 of the LI-NING Hong Kong Open 2024.
After making it through the qualifiers, the Chinese pair—who were eliminated in the first round of their debut at the Korea Open two weeks ago—shocked top-seeded men’s doubles champions Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen with their fast and aggressive style, winning 21-15, 25-23.
The second game was particularly tense, with both sides exchanging slim leads from 18-all, but Huang and Zhou stayed composed to secure the victory.
Zhou, who had previously partnered with He Ji Ting for two years before teaming up with Tan Qiang at the end of last year, credited their speed as the decisive factor in defeating the world No. 2 pair.
“Our speed gave us the edge,” said Zhou, 26, from Ningbo. “Playing fast is our strength, and we showcased it today.
“Kim and Anders, being top players, had more pressure to deliver a result. For us, the goal was to stay aggressive and push ourselves to beat the best.
“We’re thrilled with this win, but our focus now shifts to preparing for the next round.”
Huang and Zhou will next face Lin Bing Wei and Su Ching Heng from Chinese Taipei.
Elsewhere, Danish men’s doubles teams faced more disappointment. Shortly after, Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard fell 21-14, 21-17 to Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Daniel Marthin.
Denmark’s hopes in men’s doubles ended later in the day, when sixth seeds Rasmus Kjaer and Frederik Sogaard lost a tight match, 15-21, 23-21, 19-21, to Nur Mohd Azryn and Tan Wee Kiong.
After a peak summer due to the 2024 Paris Olympics, some of Europe’s top badminton players took a well-deserved break following the intense Olympic qualification period.
However, the season has resumed, and a series of World Tour events in Asia are paving the way for the European leg. It will kick off in October with the YONEX-sponsored CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open 2024, followed by the VICTOR Denmark Open 2024 and the Hylo Open 2024.
Focus on Hong Kong This week, the spotlight turns to the Li-Ning Hong Kong Open 2024. All eyes are on Viktor Axelsen, who just won his second Olympic gold medal a month ago. After skipping the Japan Open to rest, Axelsen is ready for a strong comeback.
Despite his numerous achievements, he has yet to win the Hong Kong Open title. Tomorrow, he faces local favorite Angus Ng Ka Long in his first match.
Europeans in Action Viktor Axelsen aims to claim his first Hong Kong Open title, while his Danish teammate Anders Antonsen has opted out of the tournament. After a coaching change, he is focusing on recovery and preparation for the upcoming Super 1000 event in China—where his brother, Kasper Antonsen, will start coaching him in October.
But Denmark isn’t the only European nation represented in Hong Kong. The Popov brothers from France are also competing in both men’s singles and doubles. Ukrainian players are taking part in the Super 500 tournament as well, with Polina Buhrova competing in women’s singles and doubles, while Yevgeniya Kantemir will team up with Oleksii Titov in mixed doubles.
Matches to Watch Today With the qualifiers now over, top European players like Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, Rasmus Kjær/Frederik Søgaard, and the Popov brothers have kicked off their first-round matches today.
The 2024 Li-Ning Hong Kong Open runs from today until Sunday, September 15—stay tuned for all the latest updates.
Kim Astrup ( March 6, 1992) is a Danish male badminton player.
In April 2010, Kim Astrup Sørensen represented Denmark at the World Junior Badminton Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he won the third place in the Men’s Doubles Quasi-Final of the World Junior Championships, defeating the tournament’s No. 2 seed Au Yew Han/Yau Fong Keng of Malaysia 0-2 (16-21, 25-27).
In January 2011, Kim Astrup Sorensen and Rasmus Friedberg won their first international title at the Badminton International in Stockholm, Sweden, defeating Lukas Molen/Wojciech Sukudralszek of Poland 2-1 (14-21, 25-23, 21-16) in the Men’s Doubles Final.
In 2013, Astrup Sørensen teamed up with Anders Skorup Rasmussen and Maria Hesbo to win the men’s doubles and mixed doubles runners-up at the Danish International, respectively.
In April 2014, Kim Astrup Sørensen and Anders Skorup Rasmussen played in the Finnish Open Badminton Championships, winning the Men’s Doubles final by defeating the tournament’s 5th seeds, Huang Berui/Lu Jingyao of Chinese Taipei, 2-0 (21-18, 21-17).
In January 2015, Kim Astrup Sørensen and Anders Skorup Rasmussen played in the Swedish Badminton Masters, winning the title in the Men’s Doubles final by defeating the tournament’s top seeds, Adam Kwalina/Przemyslaw Wacha of Poland, 2-0 (21-15, 21-11). In February of the same year, he represented Denmark at the Badminton Europe Mixed Team Championships in Leuven, Belgium, helping his team win the Mixed Team title.
In February 2016, Kim Astrup Sørensen represented Denmark at the European Men’s Badminton Team Championships in Kazan, Russia, helping his team win the men’s team title. In March of the same year, he and Anders Skorup Rasmussen competed in the Swiss Badminton Golden Grand Prix, winning the men’s doubles final by defeating the tournament’s No. 4 seed and Chinese Taipei powerhouse Lee Seung-mu/Tsai Chia-hsin 2-0 (21-8, 21-15). In May of the same year, he was selected as the main men’s doubles starter at the Thomas Cup, helping Denmark to win the three major team events for the first time, and was the moment he became the new World Champion.
In April 2018, Kim Astrup Sørensen represented Denmark at the Badminton Europe Championships in Huelva, Spain, winning the men’s doubles title at the European Championships by withdrawing from the men’s doubles final due to his opponent.
In the men’s doubles final of the 2018 China Open Badminton Championships, the Danish duo Astrup/Rasmussen won the China Open men’s doubles title by defeating the Chinese duo Han Chengkai/Zhou Hao Dong 2-1.
Copenhagen World Championships in August 2023, the home game Astrup/Anders state of the brave all the way to the final, but finally 21-14, 15-21, 17-21 not lower than South Korea’s Kang Min-hyuk/Seo Seung-jae to get the runner-up, the record since the World Championships to participate in the best results.
World Ranking – Men’s Doubles 2, Week 33, 2024
Olympic Points – Men’s Doubles 4, 92724 points
Finals Ranking – Men’s Doubles 2, 64000 points
Equipment Used
AERONAUT 9000C,ASTROX 88S,Li-Ning Line 1,SHB65Z2MEX,DUORA 10,TECTONIC 7C,N69
Major Achievements
2024 Paris Olympics Badminton Men’s Doubles Champion
2024 Canadian Open Men’s Doubles Champion
2024 Indonesia Open Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2024 Singapore Open Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2024 Malaysia Badminton Masters Men’s Doubles Champion
2024 Badminton Europe Championships Men’s Doubles Champion
2024 Badminton Europe Championships Men’s Team Champion
2024 Indonesia Badminton Masters Men’s Doubles Runner-up
2023 France Open Men’s Doubles Champion
2023 Denmark Open Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2023 Arctic Badminton Open Men’s Doubles Champion
2023 Hong Kong Badminton Open Men’s Doubles Champion
2023 World Badminton Championships Men’s Doubles Runner-up
2023 Canadian Open Badminton Men’s Doubles Champion
2023 European Games Badminton Men’s Doubles Champion
2023 European Badminton Championships Mixed Team Champion
2022 Hailu Badminton Open Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2022 Japan Badminton Open Men’s Doubles Runner-up
2022 Indonesia Badminton Open Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2022 Thailand Badminton Open Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2022 Germany Badminton Open Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2021 World Badminton Championships Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2021 Denmark Open Men’s Doubles Runner-up
2021 Badminton Europe Championships Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals
2021 All England Open Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals
On the evening of August 4th, at the 2024 Paris Olympic badminton tournament, the men’s doubles final and the men’s and women’s singles semifinals took place. Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang fell to Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin, claiming the silver medal. Viktor Axelsen defeated Lakshya Sen to advance to the final once again, while Kunlavut Vitidsarn overcame Lee Zii Jia 2-0 to reach his first Olympic final. An Se-young reversed the match against Gregoria Mariska Tunjung to secure her place in the final, and Carolina Marín withdrew due to injury, allowing He Bingjiao to advance to the final.
In the men’s doubles final, the Chinese pair Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang faced off against the Chinese Taipei pair Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin. The match began with the Chinese Taipei team taking the lead, reaching the mid-game interval first. After the break, Liang and Wang adjusted quickly, equalizing the score. However, after a brief tussle, the Chinese Taipei pair regained the lead and won the first game 21-17. In the second game, Liang and Wang fell behind early but fought hard to catch up. Despite several errors, they never gave up, eventually overturning the deficit to win 21-18. The match went to a decisive game where both pairs were neck and neck. In the final moments, Liang and Wang could not overcome their opponents, losing 19-21 and thus earning the silver medal, while Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin successfully defended their Olympic men’s doubles title.
In the previous round, Denmark’s Astrup/Anders and Malaysia’s Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik were defeated by Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang and Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin, respectively, setting up the bronze medal match in the Paris Olympic men’s doubles event. Both pairs quickly got into the game, with intense competition from the start. The Danish pair aggressively controlled the net, leading 11-8 at the mid-game interval. After the break, they maintained their rhythm and won the first game 21-16. In the second game, the Danish pair continued their dominance, leading 20-16, but the Malaysian pair staged a comeback, winning six consecutive points to take the game. The final game saw a change in momentum, with the Malaysian pair leading after the early exchanges. The Danish pair fought back, bringing the score to 19-19. In the crucial moments, the Malaysian pair held their nerve to win 21-19, securing the bronze medal, their second Olympic men’s doubles bronze.
In men’s singles, Viktor Axelsen triumphed over Lakshya Sen with a score of 22-20, 21-14, advancing to the final for the second consecutive Olympics, marking his fourth straight victory against Sen. He will face Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the final, who defeated Lee Zii Jia 21-14, 21-15, marking his second consecutive win against Lee and his first Olympic final appearance.
In women’s singles, Carolina Marín’s withdrawal allowed He Bingjiao to advance to the final, securing her second consecutive victory against Marín. She will face An Se-young, who reversed her match against Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, winning 11-21, 21-13, 21-16 to achieve her ninth consecutive victory against Tunjung. Both players are making their first appearance in an Olympic final.
Lee Yang of Chinese Taipei concluded his career with an emphatic statement: an Olympic gold medal.
Lee and Wang Chi-lin made history by becoming the first pair to win the men’s doubles title twice, following a gripping 21-17, 18-21, 21-19 victory over Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang of the People’s Republic of China at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Sunday, 4 August.
The Tokyo 2020 champions also secured the first gold medal for their country in this edition of the Games. After the match, Lee announced it was the final match of his career.
“This is my last time, which is why I kissed the court to bid a proper farewell,” said Lee, who will turn 29 in eight days. “I will go to school to become an instructor and hopefully I can help develop the game of badminton.”
The Malaysian pair, Aaron Chia and Wooi Yik Soh, defeated Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen to claim their second successive bronze medal.
The match lasted 76 minutes and had the Porte de la Chapelle Arena rocking. The contest was so close that a third game seemed almost certain from the start. The biggest lead in the entire match was a mere four points by the winners in the decisive set.
Wang Chang remarked that it was arguably the toughest match he and his partner had played in recent memory.
“The difference in the third game was two points,” Wang said. “I think it was one of the most intense matches we have played recently.”
Lee acknowledged that the three-year journey from Tokyo to back-to-back titles was a challenging one, marked by some criticism in their homeland.
However, he noted that they used the criticism as motivation to become the first men from Chinese Taipei to win multiple Olympic gold medals in any sport.
“When we won in Tokyo, not many people knew us. Now people recognize us,” Lee said. “We did not play well last year. We heard some people say that we were not good enough to represent our country.
“But despite being drawn into the toughest group, we still came away with a gold medal.”
Wang Chi-lin added: “We did experience a lot of ups and downs, but we managed to find a way to win. After the draw, we knew every match would be difficult.
“We grew amid all the negative comments. Our efforts were totally worth it.”
The badminton competition concludes on Monday with the two singles finals.
