The 2025 Japan Badminton Open Super750 is in full swing, and on the first day of the competition, the Chinese badminton team had mixed results, ending the day with 8 wins and 5 losses. Among the highlights, Wang Hongyang delivered a stunning performance by sweeping world No. 1 Kunlavut, causing the biggest upset of the tournament and advancing to the round of 16. Other notable performances included Chen Yufei, Han Yue, and Gao Fangjie, who all secured their spots in the next round. However, some players, such as Lu Guangzu, were eliminated in the first round.
The second day saw the continuation of the first-round matches. In the men's singles, Shi Yuqi faced off against Danil Dubov, with both players giving it their all. Shi won the first set 21-15 but lost the second set 17-21. However, in the decider, he showed incredible resilience, winning 21-9 to seal the victory and extend his head-to-head record against Dubov to 3-0. He advanced to the round of 16, where he will meet Ng Ka Long. Li Shifeng also impressed with a 21-10, 22-20 victory over Li Zhuoyao and will face Wang Tzu Wei in the next round. Unfortunately, Wang Zhengxing’s performance was below par, as he lost 11-21, 18-21 to Lakshya Sen. Lei Lanxi finally managed to avenge his previous three losses to Anders Antonsen, defeating him 21-19, 21-15 to advance to the second round, where he will face Pablo Patino.
In women’s singles, Wang Zhi Yi had a comfortable victory over Xu Wenqi, winning 21-13, 21-9. In men’s doubles, Huang Di and Liu Yang triumphed 21-19, 21-16 against Giddhinupong and Dechapol. However, in mixed doubles, Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui struggled and lost 12-21, 17-21 to Hidayatullah and Felisha, bowing out in the first round. At the conclusion of the first round, the Chinese team had a 15-8 record.
The second round brought even more exciting matchups. First up was the encounter between Shi Yuqi and Ng Ka Long. This match pitted the world No. 3 against the No. 20, with Shi having a dominant 11-3 head-to-head record. Their most recent meeting was in the second round of the 2024 Korea Open Super500, where Shi easily won. In this match, Shi Yuqi dominated the first game, almost leading from start to finish, taking it 21-16. However, the second game saw a dramatic turn of events, with Shi falling behind 1-7 and eventually 2-10. Although he fought back, winning five consecutive points from 12-18, he lost 18-21. In the deciding game, Shi was down 14-16 but showed immense grit and excellent play, winning 7 straight points to close out the match 21-16, securing a 2-1 victory and advancing to the next round.
Another thrilling match saw Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang take on the Indian duo, Rankireddy and Shetty. This was a clash between former world No. 1s, with Liang/Wang (currently ranked No. 6) facing off against the 15th-ranked Indians. The two pairs had met seven times previously, with Liang/Wang leading 5-2. Their most recent encounter was in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Thomas Cup, where Liang/Wang won 2-1. Both teams had been fighting for titles this season, with Liang/Wang reaching the semifinals at the Asian Championships and Orléans Masters Super300, while Rankireddy/Shetty had made three top-four finishes at higher-level tournaments.
In the first round, Liang/Wang battled through a tough match, overcoming Yamamoto Takuya and Shimoe Yuichi 10-21, 21-15, 21-11. Despite a difficult start, they made a comeback in the second and third games with excellent performances. The Indian pair also advanced, defeating a Korean duo. In the second round, Liang/Wang faced a tough challenge when they found themselves trailing 14-18 in the first game. They won five consecutive points to reverse the score, and despite missing a set point, they finally clinched it 24-22. In the second game, Liang/Wang trailed 6-10 but scored seven consecutive points to turn the game around, winning 21-14 and advancing with a 2-0 victory.
The 2025 Japan Badminton Open continues to showcase the determination and skill of the Chinese players. As the tournament progresses, fans eagerly await to see whether they can maintain their strong performance and secure more victories.
