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.”
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.
