Badminton is a funny game.

A relentless and unforgiving world tour. The pressure valve extreme. Finding the exact science to unlocking that freedom, a nuance that escapes most.

Yet, all of a sudden, one single life event, a change of mindset, or a new hope, can put you back on track. This can be almost as unexpected as the events that took you off course in the first place.

Just ask Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie. Two Olympic cycles where dreams were not fulfilled – bitter disappointment, doubts and a slide in rankings.

Many would have given up, without the belief nor fortitude to search for answers. But somehow, some way, with the help of each other, and as Lai says, perhaps some divine intervention, the Malaysian mixed doubles pair have forged a path of resurgence not many saw coming.

Since accepting their Paris 2024 Olympics fate, the recently wedded couple has won the YONEX Swiss Open 2024 and the PERODUA Malaysia Masters 2024, and today, with one of the most important wins of their careers at the VICTOR China Open 2024, progressed through to their first Super 1000 final on the HSBC BWF World Tour.

It was clearly emotional, and highly satisfying, for their words spoke truer than most.

“I am Christian, and there is one phrase that I always keep in mind. When one door closes another door opens. And I think we’re seeing that, we have never given up and that has kept us going until today,” said Lai.

“Yes, we are playing free. There is less pressure. We are enjoying it more than ever,” added Goh.

Their new-found lease on tour life has seen them move into the top three of the HSBC Race to Finals rankings, and with today’s result, are now well poised for further riches this season. They were also quick to assure media that they had no intention of stopping anytime soon.

“It’s surreal. It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before. Now three finals in a year. It’s an unbelievable achievement for us. And I want to thank my partner for helping us keep it together today,” said Lai.

“It’s been one of my dreams to be in a Super 1000 final. I’m almost in tears. We’ve been playing together for six, seven years now, and I’ve always told him [Goh] I’ve wanted this, to make a big final one day.

“Every match we play is one less match in the future, so we just want to appreciate every chance we get on court now, so long as we come out safely without injuries or illness.

“But I think you guys will be seeing us for quite some time still.”

For Goh, it’s quite simple. “It’s all down to mindset.”

“We played well in the pressure points today. We were more comfortable, brave and stable,” he said of the 21-18 21-18 result.

“This is very important for us. Because when we lose our mindset we lose our focus. So that’s been the main key. A stable mindset.”

They will face world No.3 pair Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping in Sunday’s final.

→Results

What a difference three days makes.

On Sunday, Lei Lan Xi got trounced in the LI-NING Hong Kong Open 2024 men’s singles final by Viktor Axelsen 21-9 21-12. [Read More]

Typhoon Bebinca then ripped through the region causing chaos to flights, forcing Lei and Axelsen to both arrive late to Changzhou. The Olympic champ, in fact, only got in around 8pm last night.

Today then was naturally a much different proposition in their first-round clash at the VICTOR China Open 2024.

An extreme drift from front to back and limited preparation and court acclimatisation for each meant this was a much more intriguing contest.

Lei, whom himself acknowledged he “played much faster today” than compared to Sunday’s final, took the first game 21-19.

In typical Axelsen fashion, the big Dane dug deep despite his unusual sluggishness to take it to a third.

Both players raised the intensity in decider to put on a great show for the Changzhou faithful with Lei triumphing 21-16 to the rapturous applause of fans. Watch the highlights here.

“I think he played a fantastic match. He probably should have won in two games,” Axelsen said post-match.

“We had a few challenges getting here. It would have been great for an evening match for both of us. It was interesting that we had an afternoon match. But no excuses, Lei was the better player and he deserves all the credit.”

On the secret to his form reversal against Axelsen, Lei said: “Maybe it’s more on a psychological level. I dared to go and fight today without any pressure and break through.

“Because I lost to him last week, I made some adjustments and just went for every point. Fight, fight and saving every shot.”

OTHER RESULTS

Dane Julie Dawall Jakobsen fought off late nerves to record the biggest win of her career with a stunning upset of still-injured Tai Tzu Ying 21-19 7-21 21-14.

“I’m a bit overwhelmed. I’m really happy. I’ve played some matches against the best players before but could never really close it out. So, I’m really relieved I could do it today,” she said.

“Even though she isn’t feeling so good physically at the moment she still has many shots to play, so I knew it would be difficult but I’m just happy I stayed in the third game. I was really nervous at the end and I knew I had to place my shots well otherwise she’s just too good.

“It’s a proud moment and this is one of the best victories I’ve had in a long time.”

In another head-turner, Malvika Bansod of India defeated Paris 2024 bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 26-24 21-19 for her biggest victory at a Super 1000 tournament.

→ Results (Day 2)

→ Order of Play (Round of 16)

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“I’ve been practising together with Ng Ka Long [Angus] these previous two week. We’ve had some good battles in training and most of the time he came out on top. So, I’m happy I could turn that around today. I know he is a tricky opponent, and without disrespecting him, I think he will agree with me that he didn’t have his best day today.” – Anders Antonsen

“I have told his story 500 times and it must be told 500 more times. It’s the most inspiring story I have ever heard,” said former Liverpool Football Club Manager Jurgen Klopp as he spoke to media after watching his friend SL3 player Wojtek Czyz compete on Day 1 of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

“It’s just not normal, especially his sailing story and he didn’t even know how to sail,” said Klopp, referring to Czyz’ five-year sailing trip around the world several years ago. “His story is so inspiring, so special and the world needs to hear it.”

Czyz struck up a friendship with the German manager more than 20 years ago with Klopp heralding Czyz’s ‘crazy story’ to media post-match. The two revived their friendship playing frisbee on a beach before Klopp took over the high-profile role at Liverpool FC and Czyz went sailing around the world with his wife donating prostheses to those who couldn’t afford it.

“I said to Jurgen back then on the beach, ‘Hey, what are you doing here?’. And now all those years later, here we are,” said Czyz.

Czyz was a 21-year-old footballer with SC Fortuna Koln when during a match the opposing team’s goalkeeper crashed into him causing multiple fractures and his leg to be amputated.

Not to be stopped, Czyz then went on to have a stellar athletics career, winning gold medals in 100m, 200m and long jump at the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Paralympics, as well as multiple world titles.

After more than a decade of professional athletics, he retired in 2013 and went sailing around the world, ending up in New Zealand, where he and his wife relocated permanently, started a family, and now run a manuka honey farm. Incredibly, he only took up Para badminton three years ago.

Speaking from the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, Klopp said of Czyz’s performance: “I enjoyed watching the match. Well, the seven points that he [Wojtek] won, ha ha ha,” he said jokingly, acknowledging the 21-5 21-2 result against Great Britain’s No.1 seed, Daniel Bethell.

“I sat next to his incredible wife, Elena, and we both had tears in our eyes. Sport can be about results and winning, but there’s much more behind his story. He’s 44-years-old. I can’t get my head around it.

“Yes, he played the best in the world today, but I enjoyed every second of it. We celebrated each point and we kept going. It was pure joy. I couldn’t be prouder of Wojtek and to be here.”

Czyz said of the experience: “Maybe it wasn’t the best match to have Jurgen watch me, when you’re playing against the best in the world. I think you’re looking at the gold medallist right there.

“But we’re here to advocate the sport for the future. If we can do something and that gives the next generation access to disabled sport and better support, then that’s great.

“With Jurgen’s presence, I think it’s a great statement that we need for Para badminton and that makes me very proud of him, and I’m really thankful for that.”

For the ex-Liverpool man, being in Paris for the Paralympics and supporting Wojtek is part of his quest to help increase the exposure of Para sports.

“I went to the Opening Ceremony and it was spectacular, like a Taylor Swift concert. I saw China and Brazil with these huge delegations of athletes and I was blown away. I didn’t expect that.

“The greatest stories are in Para sports. I am always trying to watch as many Para events as possible and it’s made easier these days with streaming. The whole thing has been wonderful and I’m just glad to support my friend,” said a smiling Klopp.

世界羽毛球联合会（BWF）宣布2022汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛将不继续在中国广州举办。

赛事将迁往泰国曼谷Nimibutr体育馆举办，由于场馆档期和比赛地变更，比赛日期为12月7日至11日，比广州原计划日期提前一周。

世界羽联经与中国羽毛球协会（CBA）协商后同意，鉴于目前疫情形势带来的各种挑战，易地举办2022汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛。

世界羽联感谢中国羽毛球协会、广州市政府和广州市体育局所作的出色工作。

世界羽联还要感谢泰国羽毛球协会在这么短的时间内为2022汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛提供替代举办地点。

2022汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛的参赛运动员名单将在11月22日澳大利亚公开赛结束后确认。

世界羽联确认，2022年汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛将于12月14日至18日在广州举办。这是继2019年之后，中国大陆首次举办国际羽毛球巡回赛。

本赛季各单项最顶尖的八位/组球员将在广州天河体育馆标志性的红色地胶上争夺赛季末的最高荣誉，以及羽毛球史上最高的奖金池——150万美元。

世界羽联秘书长托马斯·伦德表示，国际羽毛球巡回赛再次回到中国对这项运动来说是积极的一步。

伦德说：“汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛是我们一年中最重要的赛事之一，我们很高兴能与中国羽协、广州市政府和我们的主要合作伙伴汇丰银行合作，将总决赛带回广州。”

“我们也感谢中国政府向世界顶级羽毛球运动员发出邀请，我们仍然有信心，我们的东道主将以最高标准为运动员提供安全和舒适的总决赛。”

“广州已经在2018年和2019年举办了两届精彩的汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛，我们期待着为中国的球迷们再次举办一场羽球盛会。”

赛季缩短

即将在10月和11月举行的巡回赛是球员们争夺总决赛积分的最后机会，伦德也确认了2022中国常州公开赛(超级1000)和2022中国福州公开赛(超级750)已被取消。

伦德表示：“遗憾的是，原本在常州和福州举办两站公开赛的计划将无法推进。对于羽毛球界来说，这是至关重要的一年，我们非常自豪能够举办汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛的绝大部分比赛。现在的焦点转向了未来几周将举办的汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛和赛季末的总决赛，在未来几周球员们将为了更多的积分而奋战。”

2022年道达尔能源世界羽联羽毛球世锦赛五个单项决赛选手全部产生。中国队在女单、女双和混双项目中各获一个决赛席位，分别是：陈雨菲、陈清晨/贾一凡和郑思维/黄雅琼。其中陈雨菲击败戴资颖，中国队女单时隔八年重返世锦赛决赛。

中国男单选手赵俊鹏以20-22、6-21不敌泰国选手昆拉武特，无缘决赛，获得其职业生涯第一块世锦赛铜牌。昆拉武特成为了世界羽联世锦赛男单决赛中第一位泰国选手，将在决赛中面对安赛龙。

昆拉武特赛后采访时说道：“我很高兴，这是我第二次参加世锦赛。在第一局比赛中我确实犯了一些错误，但在第二局比赛中我可以很好地控制球。我的注意力集中在控制上，因为球场有风。我期待着在决赛中与安赛龙交手。我想向他学习，他是如何在每场比赛中都打得那么好。我没有压力，因为他是最受欢迎的。”

另一场男单半决赛，安赛龙以2-0的战绩击败了周天成，在第二局14比16落后的情况下，安赛龙积极调整心态，并在接下来的8分中拿下了7分，终结了比赛的悬念。

“我很高兴我在第二局比赛中取得了进步。对手给了我很大的困难，但在精神上，我成功地加快了步伐，这意味着我可以赢得比赛。我告诉自己，我必须专注于每一分，认真防守。我做到了，并且赢得了一些关键的分数。”关于决赛，安赛龙说：“我对自己现在的状态非常满意，我很享受。我不会考虑谁是弱者，谁不是。我期待着明天一场精彩的比赛。这将是艰难的。”

女单决赛将由奥运会冠军陈雨菲对阵卫冕冠军山口茜。半决赛中，陈雨菲以15-21丢掉首局后，以21-14、21-18连扳两局，成为李雪芮在2014年世锦赛获得亚军以后，首位打入女单决赛的中国队选手。山口茜在另外一场比赛中快速战胜了韩国选手安洗莹，晋级决赛。

陈雨菲在赛后采访时表示：“因为这次比赛球比较慢，在场上对抗的拍数会很多，自己在比赛中一直没有放弃，通过多拍相持去逼迫对手失误。”谈到决赛，陈雨菲坦言“全力以赴展示最好的自己，不留遗憾。”

女双比赛中，头号种子陈清晨/贾一凡迎战日本组合松本麻佑/永原和可那，陈清晨/贾一凡以21-13、21-14击败曾同为两届世锦赛冠军的松本麻佑/永原和可那，将与韩国组合金昭映/孔熙容争夺冠军，后者在半决赛中以2-1险胜泰国组合菩提塔/沙西丽。

混双半决赛，头号种子郑思维/黄雅琼经过三局苦战，以21-16、12-21、21-10战胜了队友王懿律/黄东萍，第三次闯入决赛。他们决赛的对手是日本组合渡边勇大/东野有纱。

中国羽毛球双打传奇赵芸蕾入选2022年世界羽毛球联合会（BWF）名人堂，一同入选的还有与其同时代征战羽坛的印尼双打名将莉莉亚娜·纳西尔。

赵芸蕾是她那个时代最全能的双打运动员。 在很长一段时间内，她在混双和女双两个项目中的统治地位无人能及。退役后， 她成为了史上最优秀的羽毛球运动员之一——细数她职业生涯中所获得的冠军头衔，包括两枚奥运会金牌和五枚世锦赛金牌。

世界羽毛球联合会主席保罗·埃里克·霍耶对赵芸蕾入选BWF名人堂表示祝贺。

他说，“入选世界羽联名人堂是对羽毛球运动员最大的致敬。名人堂旨在表彰精英中的精英，赵芸蕾当之无愧地占有一席之地。赢得奥运会或世锦赛金牌是大多数运动员的梦想，而赵芸蕾取得了这两项大赛的双冠王，这是一项了不起的成就。”

Click Here for the BWF Hall of Fame Honour Roll

赵芸蕾将于2022年6月24日周五下午两点举办的线上典礼和媒体活动中正式被官方授誉。

世界羽毛球联合会(以下简称：BWF)的2024年巴黎奥运会参赛资格规则已经得到国际奥委会(以下简称：IOC)的批准。巴黎奥运会积分周期将于2023年5月1日开始持续到2024年4月28日，以2024年4月30日的奥运积分排名名单来确定。

羽毛球参赛总名额为172个(男86个，女86个)，除常规名额(166个)外，还包括2个主办国名额和4个额外名额。每个国家或地区协会派出的男女运动员的名额都不得超过8个。

单打

在每个单打项目中，国家或地区协会至少需要两位球员排在奥运积分前16位，才能获得两个满额参赛名额。共有35个名额，一个东道国名额，两个额外名额。额外名额将在资格期结束后由三方委员会确定。每个单打项目还必须至少有两名来自五大洲协会的运动员，前提是他们的排名在前250名之内。

双打

在每个双打项目中，国家或地区协会至少需要两组球员排在奥运积分前8位，才能获得两个满额参赛名额。每个双打项目还必须至少有一对来自五大洲协会的运动员，前提是他们的排名在前50名之内。

考虑到所有项目的参赛资格，没有任何国家或地区协会可以在单个项目中派出超过2组以上运动员。

在国际奥委会官网上查看已批准的2024年巴黎奥运会参赛资格规则。

世界羽联确认将有大批印尼选手退出将于12月12日在西班牙韦尔瓦举行的2021道达尔能源世锦赛。

印尼羽毛球协会(PBSI)周三上午宣布了这一消息，表达了与新冠肺炎疫情相关的担忧。还有一小部分印尼选手仍在签表中。

世界羽联对PBSI的决定感到失望，并对在抽签后退出感到遗憾。

然而，世界羽联和西班牙羽毛球联合会目前正根据地方和国家卫生当局制定的建议和措施，包括针对所有运动员、团队官员和主要利益攸关方的一套全面的安全协议，集中精力举办一场安全、成功的世锦赛。

此外男单卫冕冠军、世界第二桃田贤斗因伤退出比赛，世界羽联也确认了这一不幸消息。桃田贤斗还退出了上周的2021汇丰世界羽联世界巡回赛总决赛，并已返回日本。

混双7号种子陈炳顺和吴柳莹在搭档13年后宣布解散，并退出世锦赛。

大多数球员现在已经安全抵达韦尔瓦并进入了“安全泡泡”。第一轮比赛将于当地时间周日上午10点开始。目前没有重新抽签的计划。

2021尤尼克斯法国公开赛男双决赛中，韩国老将组合高成炫/申白喆击败了世界排名第一吉迪恩/苏卡穆约，自2019年澳大利亚公开赛后再次夺得男双冠军。

这是属于两位老将的标志性胜利，他们用韩国的传统打法击败了世界最顶级的男双组合。34岁的高成炫和32岁的申白喆是2016年里约奥运会后退役的几对顶级男双选手之一；他们于2018年复出，但复出之旅磕磕绊绊。与此同时，小黄人组合将自己塑造成里约后男双一代的佼佼者。

但韩国老将今天的表现表明，他们的技术仍旧是最顶级的；不管对手的什么球，他们都用顽强的防守化解；他们调动苏卡穆约让他无法发挥前场的实力，当机会来临时，他们由守转攻一击制胜。

高成炫获得了他的第三个法国公开赛冠军(前两次分别搭档李龙大和金荷娜），申白喆获得了他的第一个法国公开赛冠军。“在来这里之前，我们都不认为我们能赢，”高成炫说。“每次胜利后，我们都感觉更好，今天我们超级开心。几年前我们离开了国家队，在疫情之后，这是我们第一次进入高级别赛事决赛，所以这对我们来说真的很重要。”

“与年轻选手相比，我们体能限制很大，所以很难跟上他们。我们有经验，这对我们今天很有帮助。这取决于具体情况。也许今天我们的处理得比对手好。他们真的是很好的球员。很难把他们和我们同时代的人相比。即使在那时，也有很多人比我们更好。”

申白喆说：“我们没有任何遗憾。但在我们不打球的那段时间里，我们对自己的未来感到不安。现在我们很高兴我们今天做到了。这是我第一次在法国参加决赛，所以意义重大。在这之后，我们将对未来的重大比赛更有信心。”

他们的的同胞李绍熙和申昇瓒早些时候以21-17、21-12击败队友金昭映/孔熙容获得了女双冠军，继2019年后再次登上最高领奖台。

Click here for results

2021道达尔能源世界羽联苏迪曼杯总决赛决赛中，卫冕冠军中国队以3-1击败日本队，第12次捧起苏迪曼杯。

纵观全场比赛，双方都展现了超强水准，年轻的球员们表现出了与久经沙场的球星们一样的抗压能力。在上一届苏迪曼杯上，日本队以0-3被中国队击败，这次他们试图推翻这一结果，但他们不得不再次区居亚军。

中国队教练张军谈到了对年轻队员的信任，以及他们在这场重大赛事中坚守立场的能力。让一位球员上两个单项的计划被搁置，中国选择了何济霆和周昊东参加男双。

结果如愿以偿。保木卓朗/小林优吾在一个多小时的时间里与中国的年轻队员进行了战斗，但日本人错误地过度依赖防守。在比赛的最后阶段，何济霆/周昊东始终保持着进攻的活力，帮助中国队取得了领先。

“我们在四分之一决赛中输给了丹麦，我们吸取了教训——我们试着更有耐心，”周昊东说。

在上届苏迪曼杯决赛中，山口茜输给了陈雨菲。今天山口一心要进攻。日本人不愿意在对抗赛中留下遗憾，她保持着陈雨菲难以跟上的速度。即使当她的对手找到空档时，山口茜也依靠着顽强的跑动进行补救。正是这种更顽强的风格帮助山口茜赢得了比赛，因为陈雨菲在其他方面还是一如既往的精确和稳定。

“上一届苏迪曼杯我也是同样的情况，但我输了，所以我不想重蹈覆辙。而且，她是奥运会金牌得主，所以我决定挑战她。”山口说。“我只是想打一场稳定的比赛。我知道她打了几场长时间的比赛，一定会累的。我没有打过这么多长时间的比赛，所以我很有活力。”

在一场高质量的开局之后，男单比赛出现了最令人好奇的转折。开局似乎消耗了石宇奇太多精力，因此他放弃了第二局，把所有精力留到第三局上。无论是这一周累积的疲劳，还是仅仅精神上的压力，桃田贤斗又一次输了。世界第一面对石宇奇的不断高强度进攻，并没有什么办法能够应对，最终石宇奇以2-1击败对手，使中国队以2-1领先。

桃田否认疲劳是他在第三局比赛中有点无精打采的原因。“我被对手的进攻能力压垮了，所以我输了。我没有那么累，但我找不到赢球的方法。”

石宇奇在庆祝他2019年7月受伤复出后的最佳时刻时，承诺要比受伤前更好。“我放弃了第二局以恢复我的体力。我必须把所有的精力都放在第三局比赛上。我有90%的最佳状态。赢得比赛是一件很棒的事情，但我的目标不是回到以前的水平——我要达到以前水平的120% !”

日本最后的希望寄托在女双临时组合上，松本麻佑/松友美佐纪给陈清晨/贾一凡造成了不小的麻烦。中国组合一路经受着考验，她们表现出了出色的气质，关键时刻下手更加果断。

随着21-17 21-16的胜利，苏迪曼杯留在了中国。“奥运会之后,这个冠军让我们可以再次激励我们的队员，”张军说，“我们本届苏杯男双阵容上不是最完美的，对泰国和丹麦我们有一些困难，但我们决定让年轻球员上场，我们信任他们的能力，他们今天做的很好。”
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2021道达尔能源世界羽联苏迪曼杯总决赛 第三比赛日中，桃田贤斗率领的日本队5-0击败英格兰队，将与马来西亚队争夺小组头名位置。

在东京奥运会小组赛阶段被淘汰之后，球迷对桃田的状态充满了好奇。今天，在D组日本对阵英格兰的比赛中，渡边勇大/东野有纱帮助日本取得领先后，桃田贤斗在与世界排名第205位的托尔森的比赛中，看上去与巅峰时期的状态还相距甚远。

日本人经常被托尔森的杀直线所击溃，这位22岁的英格兰球员打得非常轻松，然而最后一记发球将优势拱手让给了桃田，他在第一局比赛中获得了信心，并在没有进一步失误的情况下结束了比赛。

“一开始我非常紧张，无法发挥自己的能力。接近第二局的时候，我让自己冷静下来，控制住自己的比赛。”

“我希望在专注度方面有所提高。我今天很紧张，不能专注于一件事。不过，好在我能让自己冷静下来。”

托尔森说，他对自己的表现感到惊讶。

“这对我来说绝对是一个惊喜，我不知道他是否感到紧张。很高兴看到我的扣杀能够穿透他的防守。我认为这对我来说绝对是一个巨大的信心助推器，能够在与世界上最好的球员的比赛中取得这样的成绩。我想在未来面对每一个球员时都这样做。”

本·莱恩和文迪不敌古贺辉/斋藤太一，没能阻止日本队。 山口茜以21-16/21-12击败霍尔顿，之后志田千阳/松山奈未在与布里奇/史密斯的比赛中直落两局，帮助日本队5-0完胜英格兰队。

在另一场B组比赛中，马来西亚以5比0击败埃及，而在B组中，中华台北以5比0击败德国，韩国以同样的优势击败了塔希提岛。

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The YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2025 will see some engrossing opening action, with several blockbuster first round matches.

World champion and 2023 India Open winner Kunlavut Vitidsarn will take on Japan Open champion Alex Lanier, while second seed Jonatan Christie is up against Wang Tzu Wei. Other potential thrillers in men’s singles include: Li Shi Feng vs Leong Jun Hao, Weng Hong Yang vs Kidambi Srikanth, Koki Watanabe vs Lee Cheuk Yiu, Toma Junior Popov vs Kenta Nishimoto, Priyanshu Rajawat vs Kodai Naraoka and Lakshya Sen vs Lin Chun-Yi.

In men’s doubles, HSBC BWF World Tour Finals champions Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen have a potentially difficult opener against Jin Yong/Kang Min Hyuk, while local hopefuls Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty will have to be their best against Malaysians Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun. Second seeds Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang face Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi.

In women’s singles, former world champions Nozomi Okuhara runs into Ratchanok Intanon.

Meanwhile, there were two notable withdrawals in men’s singles, with Sunday’s Malaysia Open champion Shi Yu Qi and Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting pulling out. Mixed doubles world No.1 Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping also withdrew.

Promotions:

Men’s Singles: Kiran George, Kidambi Srikanth (India)
Women’s Singles: R Santhosh Ramraj (India)
Men’s Doubles: Chayanit Joshi/Mayank Rana (India)
Women’s Doubles: A Pramuthesh/Sonali Singh, Kavya Gupta/Radhika Sharma, P Aiamavareesrisakul/Sarisa Janpeng (Thailand)
Mixed Doubles: Tarun Kona/S Kudaravalli (India), Yuta Watanabe/Maya Taguchi (Japan)

Withdrawals:
Men’s Singles: Shi Yu Qi (China), Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (Indonesia)
Women’s Singles: Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Thailand)
Men’s Doubles: Rasmus Kjaer/Frederik Sogaard (Denmark)
Women’s Doubles: Chloe Coney/Estelle van Leeuwen (England); Kokona Ishikawa/Mio Konegawa (Japan); Teng Chun Hsun/Yang Chu Yun (Chinese Taipei)
Mixed Doubles: Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (China); Wu Hsuan-Yi/Yang Chu Yun (Chinese Taipei)

It’s still early in the season, and while looking for fresh beginnings, some of the prime protagonists of the YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2025 were glancing at the rearview mirror to draw inspiration.

Lakshya Sen, for instance, whose 2024 season was – perhaps unfairly – identified with his missing out on a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, insisted that recent reverses hadn’t dimmed his fire. His win at the India Open three years ago was his biggest achievement on the Tour early in his senior career, and he sought to draw strength from that memory, for his recent form has been rather uneven.

He fell tamely in the first round of the PETRONAS Malaysia Open last week, and while he did win the Syed Modi International late last year, it was in a depleted field. Apart from team events like the Thomas Cup last year and the Asian Games in 2023, his results on the circuit have been modest, with the bright spots being semifinals at the French Open and the All England early last year, besides the fourth place at the Olympics.

Sen acknowledged that he was looking to the India Open to rediscover his winning form at the bigger events on the World Tour.

“I won the India Open in 2022 and wasn’t in front of fans,” Sen said, referring to the COVID restrictions then in place. “So I hope to win it in front of fans. All the top players are here, so it’s a treat for the fans. Last year was tough for me, losing (while) close to a medal and missing out. But the fire inside is still burning bright, so I’m looking forward to doing well this year.

“It wasn’t an ideal start at the Malaysia Open,” the world No.12 continued. “But I’m looking forward to a tough season ahead. The season has just begun. There will be ups and downs. Last year showed me it can be tough at times.

“Overall it (Olympics) was a good experience… that experience will help me now. It gave me a lot of belief as well, that if (the level) can be there, I can win tournaments.”

And while Sen sought inspiration from his 2022-winning feat at the India Open, his compatriots Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also drew strength from their past association with Tan Kim Her, who has returned as their coach after a stint with Japan.
Tan was the one who had formed the pair in early 2016 – Rankireddy and Shetty were with different partners – and they reflected on what it meant to be reuniting with a coach who had been pivotal to their career.

“To have him back – he was the one who paired us up; we were youngsters back then,” recalled Shetty. “Before he left us we were in the top 20. To have him back, it’s really good for us. The approach now is a lot different. We are established on the World Tour. It’s give-and-take. Now it’s a lot more conversational, and we tell him our opinion.”

“I feel you need a bond with the coach,” added Rankireddy. “Everyone knows the story. We used to call him ‘daddy’ because he made us. We still have the same bond.”

The BWF will be continuing its initiative on BWF Player Education & Dual-Career (Beyond Badminton) activations, following positive outcomes and great engagement in 2024.

Player Education & Dual-Career (Beyond Badminton) activations were delivered in conjunction with the 38 BWF International Tournaments, BWF World Junior Championship 2024 (link) and ISF U15 Gymnasiade (link).

This year, the activation will be integrated into existing BWF international events for elite, Para badminton, and junior players.

The activation aims to spread awareness and share information about the available opportunities, pathways, and resources for players.

Working closely with the Continental Confederations and respective member association / host, the BWF will deliver the following activities:

• Circulate a Dual Career information email to Team Managers & coaches (pre-event)
• Promotional materials with QRcode (during event)

List of identified BWF International Events

Please find below the identified BWF international events – International Challenge, Series, Future Series, Junior and Para Badminton events:

We are happy to hear from other Member Associations / Hosts interested in integrating the activation into their event.

List of identified CC Events & Development Projects

Please find below the identified CC Events & Development projects:

More Information / Contact Person

More information about the BWF Player Education & Dual Career initiative: link

• BWF Development Manager – Erica Khoo – [email protected]
• BWF Development Officer – Tracy Tan – [email protected]

You can also follow YONEX-SUNRISE India Open 2025 on BWF TV.

** Check your local TV guides for broadcast times and details **

World No.1 An Se Young kicked off her season in style, clinching the PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2025 title at Axiata Arena on Sunday.

The Olympic gold medallist triumphed in convincing fashion, defeating Wang Zhi Yi 21-17 21-7 in just 45 minutes. The victory was particularly sweet for An, as it ended a recent losing streak to the Chinese shuttler who had bested her in their last two encounters.

In securing a second consecutive Malaysia Open crown, An became the first Korean women’s singles shuttler to win back-to-back editions of the 88-year-old tournament.

“I just found out about this. I’m very happy,” said the 22-year-old. “Starting the new year with a win feels refreshing.”

An admitted she was determined to halt her run against Wang but was careful not to let it cloud her preparations.

“I learned a lot from those losses,” she said. “The key was to quickly forget about them and take away the lessons. It’s important not to dwell on the past. I just wanted to play with full confidence and enjoy the match.”

Just last month, An lost to Wang in the semifinals of the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals. However, her dominant run in Kuala Lumpur – where she didn’t drop a game on her way to the title – could be an indicator of what’s to come this season.

→ Results (Finals)

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“This is only our third tournament together, we weren’t expecting a title so soon. We are excited to have achieved this, it’s a great start to 2025.” – Mayu Matsumoto on her pairing with Yuki Fukushima after they claimed their first title

“The game plan was to wear them out. This match was more like a marathon in over 60 minutes. There were a lot of long rallies and during those long rallies, our energy level was a bit low and we made some mistakes but we actually had a chance to win.” – Liu Yi after he and Chen Bo Yang lost to Kim Won Ho/Seo Seung Jae 19-21 21-12 21-12

“We made some mistakes due to the eagerness to win the first game and that put us under stress. We were using a lot of energy so we couldn’t play our game. In the second and third games we used our energy effectively.” – Seo Seung Jae on what it took to grab the title

“I enjoy fast drives and fast matches so I like men’s doubles more and that will be the focus I think for now.” – Kim when asked which discipline he prefers

“At times I was giving him the opportunity to make the spin way too easy (at the net). When he’s having ‘one of those days’ where his net shots are perfect, you cannot do that and I kept getting into that trap. If you are not totally mentally there, that’s some of the mistakes you tend to make.” – Anders Antonsen on what cost him his final against Shi Yu Qi

“Chinese men’s singles haven’t won too many times in Malaysia so I used the experience from last year and the Hangzhou final. Winning the BWF Men’s Singles Player of the Year Award was unexpected and has motivated me to do well this year.” – Shi after beating Antonsen 21-8 21-15

For the first time in 20 years, China have a shot at all five titles on offer at the Malaysia Open.

The Chinese had a splendid day at Axiata Arena – their representatives winning three of the four semifinals against opponents from another country. The only setback was the first Chinese to take to court, women’s pair Li Yi Jing/Luo Xu Min, who lost 21-13 23-21 to in-form Japanese duo Yuki Fukushima/Mayu Matsumoto.

The matches that followed all went China’s way – Wang Zhi Yi sidestepping Pornpicha Choeikeewong 21-16 21-12 before Malaysian hearts were broken by Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping and Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi. Mixed doubles top seeds Feng/Huang defeated Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei 21-19 21-14 while Chen/Liu overcame Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Wun 24-26 21-16 21-15.

Two all-China matches took place earlier – the first one won by Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian against top seeds Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning 19-21 21-16 21-17 in the longest contest of the day that lasted 91 minutes.

Referring to the 82-minute second round tussle against Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, Jia joked: “First 80 minutes, now 90. I hope I have the energy to play 100 minutes in the final. That would make me happy.”

Liu/Tan’s fate didn’t befall men’s singles top seed Shi Yu Qi, the world No.1 outlasting compatriot Li Shi Feng 16-21 21-5 21-12 in 62-minute battle.

“Towards the end, we were both tired due to many long rallies,” said Shi. “When the energy level drops, it’s easy to make mistakes. Due to the huge points-gap, he had to play faster and attack. I just tried to defend and hold him off.”

The last time China were in all the finals in 2005, they took home two titles via Zhang Ning (women’s singles) and Yang Wei/Zhang Jiewen (women’s doubles). It was also the edition at which Lee Chong Wei first beat Lin Dan to win the second of his record 12 Malaysia Open crowns.

→ Results (Semifinals)

→ Order of play (Finals)

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“She’s perfect the way she is. I’ve learned a lot from her. Every match against her is an honour.” – An Se Young when asked if Ratchanok Intanon could take a thing or two from her game

“We were really happy and excited throughout the match. We get enjoyment out of this journey every day.” – Mayu Matsumoto on why she was more animated than usual in the win over Li/Luo

“They were playing well, almost like a mixed doubles pair, it was tough. Kudos to them. We can take a lot of learnings from them and we gave them a good fight. Maybe some mind games would have helped but they’re a great pair and if they keep playing like this, they can absolutely win the tournament.” – Satwiksairaj Rankireddy gives his take on who will win the men’s doubles title.

“It’s very good to have a full crowd. Whether it’s in Malaysia or China, the fans are so passionate, supporting us from the first point to the last, cheering non-stop. It’s definitely good for the badminton world and it inspires athletes like us to have more motivation to bring excitement to matches for them.”  – Huang Dong Ping on a packed Axiata Arena.

“It was good to play against Kodai (Naraoka) again, it’s been about a year. We’ve had some fun battles in the past. He always brings the best out of me to be tough and fight hard.” – Anders Antonsen on his nine battles against the Japanese shuttler.

Ratchanok Intanon has worked out a way to keep extracting top performances out of herself at her age.

The trick? It’s all in the head.

“As I get older, I’m choosing to believe I’m still young and can play like I did before. In my head right now, I’m 18,” the 29-year-old said with a smile after defeating Putri Kusuma Wardani to reach the PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2025 semifinal – her first at a Super 1000 since June 2023.

“I go in thinking my fitness is better than my opponent’s and that I’m stronger. Previously, I didn’t necessarily have the right mentality but today I was ready for every shot. I had a plan and a target. Finally, I’m back in a Super 1000 semifinal.”

Intanon started the decider well, racing to an 8-2 lead before Wardani surged ahead 13-10. But the 2013 world champion went into attack mode at 14-14, winning four straight points to close out the match 21-13 15-21 21-16.

“When she came back, I had to rely on my power and push myself to run more,” Intanon explained. “She tried to control the rallies but I knew I had to play more aggressively. That’s when things started to work.”

With a strong start to 2025, Intanon has clear goals for the year.

“I want to get back into the top eight in the world rankings. I’m not focusing on becoming a champion, I just want to maintain a high standard all year without disruptions from injuries,” she said.

Touching on her good record in Malaysia, where she has won two Opens (2016, 2022) and two Masters (2018, 2019), the world No.16 commented: “I’ve been playing here since I was young and I have many fans here. It feels like home. Even though I’m from Thailand, Malaysians have always supported me. It feels great.”

Next up is Olympic champion An Se Young, whom Intanon has not defeated since winning the first of their nine duels back in 2019.

Intanon said of her opponent: ““She learned from me when she was younger and now she leads in our head-to-head. She’s mentally strong and we know each other well. I will just do my best without any pressure.”

→ Results (Day 4)

→ Order of play (Day 5)

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“I couldn’t even hear him! At the beginning of my career, playing in front of the home crowd made me nervous. But I’ve learned to embrace the cheers and use it as motivation. Lately, I’ve been enjoying it a lot more.” – Shevon Jemie Lai on the deafening support at Axiata Arena

“This is a barometer for us. I don’t know what’s next for us because we still have a long way to go but
I want to give my best every time with a challenger’s mentality.” – Yuki Fukushima after she and Mayu Matsumoto ousted second seeds Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee

“As athletes, these are the stadiums you want to play in. We couldn’t have asked for a better crowd, although they were rooting for the local pair. It’s one of the best arenas to play badminton.” – Chirag Shetty after he and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy beat Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi

Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto are already showing great early promise as a partnership.

The Japanese, both former world No.1s with previous partners, continued their impressive run by advancing to the PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2025 quarterfinals with a 21-19 21-17 win over fellow new pair Kim Hye Jeong/Kong Hee Yong.

It marks their ninth win in 11 matches since teaming up in November, a remarkable start that has them excited about the potential of the pairing.

“We are really excited (by this partnership),” said Matsumoto. “It’s also nice to play other new pairs. We are looking forward to more such matches.”

Despite their steady takeoff, Fukushima and Matsumoto are focused on continuous improvement.

“Our main aim is improving our communication on court,” Matsumoto added. “We had some good discussions today, we want to build on that in upcoming matches.”

Fukushima had a highly successful 12-year partnership with Sayaka Hirota before injuries disrupted their journey. The duo reached three consecutive World Championships finals between 2017 and 2019, ironically losing two of those to Matsumoto and the now-retired Wakana Nagahara. Fukushima and Hirota parted ways after the Asian Championships in April.

“We plan to finish this season as a pair,” Fukushima confirmed, solidifying their commitment to one another for at least one year. Matsumoto expanded: “Our target is to stay focused in every match and most importantly, avoid injuries.”

Since joining forces, Fukushima/Matsumoto have finished runners-up in Kumamoto and made the semifinals at the China Masters.

With their two losses both coming against Chinese pairs – Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning and Li Yi Jing/Luo Xu Min – their credentials will again be put to test in the last eight tomorrow by world No.2s Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee.

→ Results (Day 3)

→ Order of play (Day 4)

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“She brings a lot of positive energy. That’s important in every training session and every competition. I’m also doing more match analysis with her.” – Yeo Jia Min on working with new coach Kim Ji Hyun

“We feel like now we have the game plan to play them, it’s encouraging ahead of facing them again next week.” – Callum Hemming after he and Estelle van Leeuwen lost a close contest to Yang Po Hsuan/Hu Ling Fang, whom they open their India Open campaign against

“We came into this match highly motivated. It’s our home tournament. Going on holiday and relaxing has been good for me. We seem to have struck form at the right time.” – Teo Ee Yi after securing a quarterfinal spot over Jin Yong/Kang Min Hyuk with partner Ong Yew Sin

“I love playing here. The fans are special but they make me excited and nervous. I get a little too excited when I hear them but I have to keep calm. Maybe they wait for a trickshot or two from me. I’d love to do one of those.” – An Se Young shares her love for Malaysian fans

“I played a good match. He was steady in the opener and I dug deep in the hope he’d start to crack when I levelled things in the third game. It was tough to play from one side but I kept saying to myself I just needed to get to three to four points behind him and then it’s game on.” – Giant-hitter Prannoy H. S. on his mindset that pushed Li Shi Feng to the brink

“We tried to stay relaxed despite playing a top pair on home ground. We regarded ourselves as ‘the challengers’ and came with a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude. Our sibling chemistry shone through and we believed we could beat them. Making the quarterfinal is a big moment for us. We are going to enjoy it.” – An ecstatic Lee Fang-jen soaking up the 21-18 21-14 win with twin brother Lee Fang-chih over Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik

The two-match-old pairing of Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae marched into the PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2025 quarterfinals after another straight games win at Axiata Arena on Thursday.

It came at the expense of Olympic silver medallists Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang – the highest remaining men’s doubles seeds following Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen’s first round defeat on Monday to another new pair Chiu Hsiang Chieh/Wang Chi-Lin. Kim/Seo saw off homesters Junaidi Arif/Yap Roy King 21-17 21-11 in their opener.

Reflecting on the 39-minute, 21-17 21-16 win, Seo pointed out that the opponents’ unfamiliarity with their style proved advantageous.

“Them not knowing what to expect worked in our favour,” said the 27-year-old two-time world champion. “They didn’t play much defence. That, combined with speed, is what they are good at.”

Kim, more a of a mixed doubles specialist, credited Seo for helping him manage his nerves against an accomplished pair.

“The pace in men’s doubles is much faster but I’m lucky to have Seung Jae supporting me. That’s why I’ve been able to play well despite feeling nervous,” said Kim. “Seo is a perfect all-rounder – his attacking game is strong and he can adapt to different opponents’ styles.”

The 25-year-old, who won mixed doubles silver at Paris 2024 alongside Jeong Na Eun, added: “Liang and Wang are one of the world’s best pairs but we played a fast game and tried to exploit their weaknesses.”

Seo previously partnered Kang Min Hyuk to the world title in 2023 and reached world No.7 with Choi Sol Gyu before that. After the China Open in September, he also played alongside Ki Dong Ju (Korea Masters) and Jin Yong (Kumamoto and China Masters).

Asked how he maintains high performance with various players, Seo said: “My focus is to use our individual strengths to the partnership’s benefit.

“Kim is incredible in defence and quick at the front court. It’s hard to get the shuttle past him.”

Toma Junior Popov banked on a “clever game” to secure his maiden victory over Jonatan Christie, 21-8 14-21 26-24, in the PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2025 first round.

Coming into the match against the third seed 4-0 down in career meetings, Popov knew he needed to minimise mistakes to stand a chance. The Frenchman also drew confidence from his close past encounters with Christie, two of which were decided by narrow margins. The most recent, at the China Open in September, ended 16-21 21-18 22-20 in Christie’s favour after a 73-minute tussle.

“This is my first victory over him and I’m happy I was able to close it out, especially after having match points four times. I’m super happy, super relieved,” Popov said.

“The final moments were spectacular, both of us diving around the court. You could see from my celebration just how much this means.”

The world No.19 admitted to feeling more nervous than usual.

“I don’t know why, maybe because I wanted to start 2025 on a good note,” he said.

On what finally worked today after going close a few times, Popov said: “No mistakes on the easy points. I opened the court and played more cleverly (compared to previous encounters).

“In the third game, I had the tough side and he came back from 8-1 down. Mentally, that was tough but I managed to calm myself and play better. My coach told me to keep it simple, avoid risks and control the net.”

The result sends Popov into a second round clash with Ng Ka Long Angus, who beat Weng Hong Yang 16-21 21-19 21-11.

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“I think confidence is a problem. You don’t get it just from training. You’ve got to win and that’s the harder part for any player. I’ve been working with a sports psychologist and perhaps that needs to be more consistent.” – Loh Kean Yew on how he plans to return back to form

“What I admire about him is his incredible defence and fast pace at the front court. It’s hard to get the shuttle past him.” – Two-time world champion Seo Seung Jae on new partner Kim Won Ho

“My last event was the Denmark Open and I’ve missed being on court. Everything, from stepping out to seeing the fans. Let’s not forget winning. It’s such a great feeling.” – Anthony Sinisuka Ginting after a 21-12 21-18 win over Lee Chia Hao