Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin from Malaysia could not have gained a better accolade before turning professional than by winning the Men’s Doubles crown at the Japan Open 2024.
Sze Fei-Izzuddin are set to turn pro in early September.
In the final that was played at the Yokohama Arena, Sze Fei-Izzuddin overcame a stout challenge from third seed and current world champions Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae from South Korea to take their maiden title this year.
The world No. 12 overcame Min-hyuk-Seung-jae 21-19, 21-15 in 45 minutes for the Super 750 series win.
While the victory gave Sze Fei-Izzuddin only their fifth BWF World Tour crown, Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi picked up her 17th title when she wrapped up her fourth Japan Open crown.
The 27-year-old Katsuyama native was the Japan Open winner in 2013, 2019, and 2022.
In the final, Akane faced little difficulty in beating Busanan Ongbamrungphan from Thailand 21-11, 21-10 as she equalled the record for the most wins with China’s Li Lingwei.
As usual, China did not go home empty-handed when they took both the Women’s Doubles and also Mixed Doubles titles.
The world’s No. 3 pair Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning wrapped up their third BWF World Tour title this year with a hard-fought 21-18, 22-20 victory over Korea’s Lee So-hee-Baek Ha-na.
In the Mixed Doubles, world No. 3 Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin made short work of Hong Kong’s Tse Ying-suet and Jordan Tang Chun-man 21-12, 21-12 to lift their third BWF World Tour crown this year.
Zhengbang-Yaxin had won the Indonesia Open and also the Australian Open earlier in the year.
On the other hand, young Frenchman Alex Lanier picked up his first major title in his career by taking the Men’s Singles crown at the Japan Open.
The former European Junior winner had previously won a handful of BWF International Challenge and Series and one BWF World Tour title at the Super 100 Canada Open in 2022.
However, in Yokohama this time around, Lanier emerged as the first-ever French winner of a Super 750 when he beat world No.9 Chou Tien-chen from Chinese Taipei 21-17, 22-20 in the final.
