Jayce
Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino dramatically turned the tide, dealing a devastating blow to Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, advancing to the mixed doubles semifinals of the 2024 Paris Open.
The Japanese pair repeated their Tokyo Olympics performance at the same stage, but the pattern of the match was entirely different. The Thai duo had a strong momentum and a clear lead, but Watanabe and Higashino gradually closed the gap. After they took the lead and won the first game, the Thai pair’s challenge suddenly collapsed with a score of 23-21, 21-14.
“I’m very happy, but I want to achieve even better results,” Watanabe said. “Three years ago (at the Olympics), we lost in the semifinals, so we want to perform better this time.”
The fourth seeds will face top seeds Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, who moved one step closer to the only major title they have yet to win. Zheng and Huang defeated compatriots Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping with a score of 21-16, 21-15.
“Even though it was a quarterfinal, the intensity of the match was like a final,” Zheng said. “We lost to Dongping at the last Olympics; she knows how to play at the Olympics, so we did a lot of preparation. We knew today’s match would be tough, so we’re very happy to have won this game.”
In the lower half of the draw, World Champions Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yoo-jung easily defeated Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet. They will next face compatriots Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun, who shattered Malaysia’s hopes by defeating Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei with a score of 21-19, 21-14.
