On October 9th, during the men’s singles event at the 2024 Arctic Badminton Open, Lei Lanxi, fresh off his runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open, lost 1-2 (17-21, 29-27, 16-21) to Japan’s Yushi Tanaka, exiting in the first round.
The match lasted 91 minutes, with Lei winning the second game after a closely contested 29-27 battle. Unfortunately, despite leading 15-12 in the deciding game, he allowed his opponent to mount a 9-1 run and lost the match.
In another match, Weng Hongyang, this year’s China Open champion, also exited in the first round, losing 11-21, 14-21 to Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
Now, only Li Shifeng and Lu Guangzu remain for China in the men’s singles. Li Shifeng will face Lee Cheuk Yiu in the Round of 16, holding a 3-0 head-to-head record. Meanwhile, Lu Guangzu will take on Koki Watanabe, with Lu having a 2-0 record against the Japanese player.
Lee Zii Jia is set to defend his Arctic Open title, but the men’s singles player faces a challenging path in the tournament starting today.
After winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, Zii Jia finds himself in a tough section of the draw. His competition includes world No. 3 Anders Antonsen from Denmark, world No. 9 Anthony Ginting from Indonesia, and world No. 10 Chou Tien-chen from Taiwan.
In the opening round, Zii Jia will face world No. 27 Christo Popov from France. Although a tough opponent, Zii Jia has beaten him once before at the 2022 German Open, giving him a slight advantage.
If Zii Jia wins the first match, his likely second-round opponent will be China’s rising star, world No. 22 Lei Lanxi. He could then meet Anthony Ginting, Lu Guangzu, or Koki Watanabe in the quarterfinals.
Last year, Zii Jia won the Arctic Open by defeating fellow Malaysian Ng Tze Yong. Another Malaysian, Leong Jun Hao, will begin his campaign today against Hong Kong’sLee Cheuk Yiu. Jun Hao is hoping for a better outcome after a tight three-game loss to Cheuk Yiu in the Hong Kong Open last month, where he led in the deciding game but couldn’t seal the victory.
In men’s doubles, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik return after Wooi Yik recovered from a toe injury that kept them out since their bronze win in Paris. They will face China’s world No. 21 pair Chen Boyang and Liu Yi in the first round.
Other Malaysian men’s doubles teams participating include Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi, and Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi.
In the women’s doubles, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, who recently won the Hong Kong Open, will be the only Malaysian representatives.
Facing his former rival Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Shi Yuqi suffered a crushing defeat, losing 11-21, 9-21, and ending his journey at the China Open early. In the men’s singles round of 16 on September 19, world No. 1 Shi Yuqi still appeared passive in his performance.
Once upon a time, Shi Yuqi had dominated Ginting, winning 11 of their previous 13 matches. However, this latest defeat marks his third loss to Ginting since his return in 2022. After making his comeback at the World Championships in 2022, Shi Yuqi lost to Ginting in a grueling three-game battle. He was again defeated in the group stage of last year’s BWF World Tour Finals, where Ginting made a comeback. Compared to those matches, this time, Shi Yuqi was dispatched in just 27 minutes, with even his coach Sun Jun, who has trained him since childhood, shaking his head in disbelief from the sidelines.
When he was trailing 3-15 in the second game, Shi Yuqi requested a medical timeout to treat injuries to his left foot and back.
Since his disappointing quarterfinal finish at the Paris Olympics, Shi Yuqi has repeatedly expressed negative emotions. After defeating former world No. 1 Son Wan Ho at the Korea Open, he jokingly remarked, “I, the weakest world No. 1, have finally beaten him today.” When asked about his newly dyed hair, he responded, “I used to be afraid of perming it, but now that I’m close to retirement, why not change it up?” After winning his first-round match at the China Open, he couldn’t help but complain, “I didn’t perform well at the Olympics, so now I’m working overtime. The ones who played well are attending concerts, while I’m stuck here.”
After his second-round elimination, Shi Yuqi, who often speaks sarcastically, commented, “Today’s result was caused by both mental and physical injuries. I think I played pretty well.”
Having competed in three tournaments since the Olympics, Shi Yuqi has expressed confusion about how to change his current situation. He also thanked fans who urged him to rest, saying, “I’m also thinking about whether I should continue or if this is enough.” In the short term, however, Shi Yuqi still has a goal: to qualify for the year-end BWF World Tour Finals. “I need to participate in at least two more tournaments to secure enough points,” he said.
The year-end BWF World Tour Finals, held in Hangzhou, is the last tournament of the season. According to the rules, the top eight players from each discipline, based on their best 14 tournament results, will qualify for the finals, with a maximum of two players (or pairs) per association. Shi Yuqi, currently ranked world No. 1, is fighting for more ranking points.
In this tournament, China’s top three male singles players (Shi Yuqi, Li Shifeng, and Lu Guangzu) were all eliminated early, while Weng Hongyang and Lei Lanxi performed admirably. Weng Hongyang, who defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu in the first round, came from behind to beat Chou Tien Chen 20-22, 21-18, 21-15 in the second round. Lei Lanxi, who previously knocked out Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, comfortably defeated Kenta Nishimoto 21-8, 21-17.
Additionally, the highly anticipated men’s doubles pair Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang were defeated 19-21, 21-18, 17-21 by Fikri/Maulana, falling short of reaching the quarterfinals.
On September 18, in the first round of the 2024 China Badminton Open, Lei Lanxi avenged his loss in last week’s Hong Kong Open final by defeating Viktor Axelsen in a surprise 2-1 (21-19, 17-21, 21-16) victory.
Axelsen’s travel was delayed due to a typhoon passing through Changzhou, and his flight was postponed. He only arrived in Changzhou at 8 p.m. last night and didn’t have time for warm-up training. After the match, Axelsen admitted the external factors affected him: “Because of the typhoon, I didn’t arrive in Changzhou until 8 p.m. yesterday, and I felt a bit fatigued. But I must admit that my opponent played very well today. Congratulations to him on the victory.”
Lei Lanxi attributed his win to his fighting spirit: “This time I was faster than the last match, and with the strong winds in Changzhou, I dared to push the pace and make breakthroughs. The key was fighting for every point and never giving up on any rally.”
In other Chinese men’s singles results, Shi Yuqi advanced with a 2-0 (21-10, 21-19) win over Wang Tzu Wei. Meanwhile, Lu Guangzu lost a close 1-2 (22-24, 21-11, 18-21) match to Li Jiahao, and 4th seed Li Shifeng continued his poor form, losing 0-2 (17-21, 18-21) to Chou Tien Chen. Both Lu and Li were knocked out in the first round.
Li Shifeng noted that although the scores were close, Chou’s aggressive style put him under pressure. Li had opportunities after 11 points but made several critical mistakes, which affected his mentality. After struggling for over half a year, Li hopes to regain his confidence in this new Olympic cycle.
With Viktor Axelsen’s surprising exit and top seed Shi Yuqi still recovering from injury, the men’s singles competition has become more open. Players like Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Anders Antonsen, and Jonatan Christie all have opportunities to claim the title.
After two days of matches, the round of 16 has been determined for all events at the 2024 China Badminton Open. Both the men’s and women’s singles saw several upsets, with two former world No. 1 players being eliminated in the first round, and six seeded players failing to advance. The doubles events faced an awkward situation with 12 byes and four withdrawals.
In men’s singles, the former world No. 1 eliminated was Viktor Axelsen, who lost after a tough 3-game match to Chinese youngster Lei Lanxi, 19-21, 21-17, 16-21. Besides second seed Axelsen’s early exit, fourth seed Li Shifeng of China lost 17-21, 18-21 to Taiwanese veteran Chou Tien Chen, failing to make it to the round of 16. Third seed Lee Zii Jia suffered his most humiliating defeat, losing 15-21, 2-21 to Japan’s Koki Watanabe, marking the lowest score in China Open history and Lee’s personal lowest in recent years.
In women’s singles, Tai Tzu Ying was the player eliminated. She battled Denmark’s Line Christophersen in a three-game thriller but ultimately lost 14-21, 21-7, 19-21. With this first-round exit, Tai’s hopes of reaching the World Tour Finals are now in serious jeopardy.
The mixed doubles category saw a significant number of withdrawals, leading to an unusual situation. After Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin won 21-19, 21-13 against Chiu Hsiang Chieh/Lin Zhi Yun, they automatically advanced to the quarterfinals due to a lack of opponents, having only played one match. The mixed doubles event saw four first-round byes and three withdrawals, while the women’s doubles had an astonishing eight byes and one withdrawal. It’s hard to believe this is happening in a top-tier BWF World Tour 1000 event. The reason behind this is the reorganization of women’s and mixed doubles pairs by many teams.
In the first round of the 2024 China Badminton Open men’s singles yesterday, Viktor Axelsen faced Lei Lanxi. Right at the start, Axelsen showcased his signature swaying serve. However, the referee wasn’t lenient this time and immediately penalized him a point.
It’s well known that Axelsen often sways side to side during his serve, something that has irritated many players.
Last week, during the quarterfinals of the 2024 Hong Kong Badminton Open, Axelsen played against Chou Tien Chen. At 11-13 in the second game, Chou mimicked Axelsen’s serve by dramatically swaying side to side and pausing for two seconds before serving, showing his discontent.
Although the Badminton World Federation (BWF) doesn’t have specific rules about serve duration, referees have discretionary power. In this match, Irish referee Mois Halpin clearly didn’t want to indulge Axelsen. According to Danish media reports, this is the first time Axelsen’s signature serve has been penalized.
Axelsen immediately approached the referee to argue, to which Halpin responded, “Your serve took too long!”
Axelsen’s serve this time took 4 seconds, which led to the penalty. In the past, his serves had sometimes taken even longer without penalties. This time, even Danish media outlet TV2 didn’t side with Axelsen, with a badminton commentator pointing out that Axelsen had been pushing the limits of the rules for a long time. The BWF seems keen to crack down on such serving behaviors, and the referee’s decision serves as a warning to Axelsen that this issue is now on their radar.
After losing the point due to his serve at the beginning, Axelsen noticeably sped up his serves for the rest of the match.
China Secures 2 Titles and 3 Runner-Ups at the Hong Kong Open
On the evening of September 15, the 2024 China Hong Kong Badminton Open concluded with China’s national team, fielding a partial main lineup, claiming two championships and three runner-up finishes. On September 17, the Chinese team will head to Changzhou, Jiangsu, to compete in the China Open, one of the highest-level and richest prize money events in the BWF World Tour.
Lei Lanxi Falls Short Against Viktor Axelsen in Men’s Singles Final
In the men’s singles final, Chinese player Lei Lanxi, who reached his first BWF Super 500 final, faced off against Denmark’s two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. The gap in skill between the two was evident, with Lei losing 9-21, 12-21, missing out on his first major tour title. Despite the defeat, Lei’s performance at the Hong Kong Open was commendable, especially his upset victory over Indonesian star Jonatan Christie in the semifinals.
Interestingly, Lei Lanxi’s first-round opponent at the upcoming China Open will be none other than Viktor Axelsen, the No. 2 seed. This means the two will clash twice in three days, and given the current circumstances, Lei will find it challenging to get past Axelsen.
Han Yue Wins Women’s Singles Title, Ending 11-Month Drought
In the women’s singles final, China’s Han Yue took on Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani. Han won in straight sets, 21-18, 21-7, to secure her title and end an 11-month championship drought. Han Yue will face teammate Gao Fangjie in the first round of the China Open.
Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin Claim Mixed Doubles Title
China’s second title came in the mixed doubles event, where Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin defeated their compatriots Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping 2-0. As the third-ranked Chinese mixed doubles team, they upset the second-ranked team to claim the victory. In next week’s China Open, Jiang and Wei will face pairs from Malaysia and Chinese Taipei in the first round.
Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning Disappoint in Women’s Doubles Final
In the women’s doubles final at the Hong Kong Open, Paris Olympic silver medalists Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning struggled and lost 0-2 to Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie/Thinaah Muralitharan. The “Sheng-Tan” pair will have a bye in the first round of the China Open and will begin their campaign in the second round.
Men’s Doubles Remains China’s Weakest Event
Men’s doubles was the only event where no Chinese player made it to the final at the Hong Kong Open, highlighting China’s struggles in this category. However, there is hope as Olympic silver medalists and China’s top men’s doubles pair, Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang, will finally return to action after a series of post-Olympic activities and rest. As defending champions, they are the top seeds in the China Open and will face France’s Popov brothers in the first round.
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.
Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin achieved an unexpected victory in the Mixed Doubles final at the 2024 Hong Kong Open, held at the Hong Kong Coliseum. They defeated the top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in a tight match, winning 21-17, 21-19 to claim their fourth BWF World Tour title this year.
This win marks Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin‘s second Super500 title of the year, following their earlier triumph at the Australian Open in June. They had also won the Indonesia Open (Super1000) and Japan Open (Super750) earlier in the season.
In other results, Han Yue brought another title for China by winning the Women’s Singles. She defeated Putri Kusuma Wardani of Indonesia with scores of 21-18, 21-7 in just 35 minutes. Han Yue, the third seed and world No. 7, faced minimal resistance in the final.
Indonesia faced setbacks in both finals, including the Men’s Doubles where Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani lost to South Korea’s Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae. The Korean duo, currently ranked No. 5 in the world, redeemed themselves after their loss at the Korea Open by securing their second BWF World Tour title of the year with a 21-13, 21-17 win.
In the Women’s Doubles, Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah triumphed over the world No. 3 pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, winning 21-14, 21-14 to earn their third BWF World Tour title.
Finally, Olympic champion and world No. 2 Viktor Axelsen clinched the Men’s Singles title by defeating Lei Lan Xi of China 21-9, 21-12. This victory marks Axelsen‘s second BWF World Tour title this year, following his win at the Malaysia Masters.
Viktor Axelsen has finally added the Hong Kong Open to his list of achievements, clinching one of the few BWF Super Series titles that had previously eluded him.
Throughout the tournament, Axelsen demonstrated exceptional form, culminating in a commanding win over China’s surprising finalist, Lei Lan Xi, with scores of 21-9 and 21-12 in the final. “I’m thrilled to have won this tournament, as my celebrations showed,” Axelsen said. “This was one of the tournaments I hadn’t won before, so finally achieving it is a fantastic feeling.”
Reflecting on his performance, Axelsen noted, “I maintained a consistent level throughout the match, with only a few errors at the beginning of the second game. Overall, it was a superb final.”
Axelsen will now turn his attention to the Super 1000 VICTOR China Open 2024, where he will defend his title this week.
Lei Lanxi is a Chinese badminton men’s singles player.
In November 2016, Lei Lanxi played with the Chinese team at the World Junior Badminton Championships in Bilbao, Spain, winning the gold medal in the mixed team event.
In September 2019, Lei Lanxi appeared in the Belarusian Badminton International Series in Minsk, Belarus, and won the men’s singles title by winning 8 matches in a row, after making it all the way to the finals from the qualifying rounds.
In February 2023, Lei Lan Xi competed in the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships, defeating India’s Prannoy and South Korea’s Lee Yoo-kyu in the semifinals and finals, respectively, to win the team title.
On June 29, the quarterfinals of the 2024 US Badminton Open concluded. The Chinese badminton team secured one win and one loss. Pits Shu-Liang/Zhang Chi were stopped in the quarterfinals, while Lei Lanxi came from behind to defeat Prieur, advancing to the semifinals. Here are today’s match updates:
2024 US Open | Match Scores
Lei Lan Xi came from behind to defeat Prieur 15-21, 21-11, 21-18, advancing to the semifinals and avenging his earlier loss at the Swiss Open this year. He will face Watanabe Hiroyuki in the next round, who won against Uriel 21-8, 21-10, achieving his first victory against Uriel.
Keng Shu-Liang/Zhang Chi lost to Kanraha/Moonwang 18-21, 25-23, 18-21, with Kanraha/Moonwang achieving their first victory against the Chinese pair. Kanraha/Moonwang will face Kurasawa Rui/Kato Yuna in the semifinals. Kurasawa/Kato narrowly defeated Jolie/Gayatri 21-17, 17-21, 21-19, achieving their first victory against them.
Other Notable Player Updates:
Nabe Natsuki defeated Busanan 21-12, 21-19, advancing to the semifinals and avenging her loss at the 2017 Thailand Masters. She will face Malvika in the next round. Malvika came from behind to defeat Gilmore 10-21, 21-15, 21-10, avenging her loss at last year’s Hailu Open.
Tanaka Yushi narrowly defeated Suriyan 6-21, 21-14, 21-19, advancing to the semifinals and achieving his first victory against Suriyan. He will compete against Loh Kean Yew for a spot in the final. Loh came from behind to defeat Liao Zhuofu 16-21, 21-6, 21-17, achieving his first victory against Liao.
Zhang Beiwen defeated Xu Minqi 21-14, 21-13, advancing to the semifinals and achieving her first victory against Xu. She will face Akane Hayashi in the next round. Hayashi won against Song Shuyun 21-14, 21-14, achieving her first victory against Song.
Ben Lane/Vendy defeated Lu Mingzhe/Tang Kaiwei 21-13, 18-21, 21-10, advancing to the semifinals and achieving their first victory against Lu/Tang. They will compete against Pakka/Perachai for a spot in the final. Pakka/Perachai easily defeated Chen Ziyi/Presley 21-12, 21-11 in 27 minutes, achieving their first victory against them.
