Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin prevented an all-China clean sweep at the China Open 2024 when they overcame their higher-ranked opponents to take the Men’s Doubles crown of the Super1000 event at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Changzhou.
Up against the fifth-seeded pair of He Ji Ting-Ren Xiang Yu – winners of the Singapore Open (in June) and Australia Open (in August) – the Malaysians were under tremendous against the home crowd when they fell to a 13-21 loss in the first set.
But the seventh-seeded Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin were determined to add to the Japan Open crown they won earlier as they fended off the pressure to take the next two sets 21-12, 21-17 for the China Open title.
However, the defeat could not prevent powerhouse China from continuing their strong tradition in the sport as they took all four remaining titles with relative ease.
The Mixed Doubles pair of Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping lived up to their second-seeded ranking to beat Malaysia’s Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie.
The world’s No. 13 Soon Huat-Shevon, winners at the Swiss Open and the Malaysia Masters, took the first set 21-16.
But Yan Zhe-Dong Ping proved why they are the current world No. 3 pair when they stormed back to win 21-14, 21-17 to add to the China Open title to the French Open crown they won in March.
In an all-China affair in the final of the Women’s Doubles, Li Yi Jing-Luo Xu Min took just over an hour to overcome compatriots Li Wen Mei-Zhang Shu Xian.
The pair of 22-year-olds Yi Jing-Xu Min lost the first set 11-21 but recovered their composure to wrap up the crown with a 21-18, 21-8 victory in 72 minutes.
In the meantime, Wang Zhi Yi ended China’s long nine-year wait for the Women’s Singles crown when the current world No. 6 emerged straight-set winner over Tomoka Miyazaki from Japan.
In a game with long rallies, Zhi Yi had to play a patient game before emerging 21-17, 21-15 winners in over 50 minutes.
Weng Hong Yang then completed China’s triumphant performance with the Men’s Singles crown with the unheralded 25-year-old reaching above his world no. 16 ranking to beat Japan’s Kodai Naraoka.
It took Hong Yang 54 minutes to beat world No. 6 Naraoka 21-17, 21-12 for his first BWF World Tour title this year.
CHINA OPEN 2024
ALL FINALS
RESULTS
WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Li Yi Jing-Luo Xu Min (CHN) bt Li Wen Mei-Zhang Shu Xian (CHN) 11-21, 21-18, 21-8-21
MIXED DOUBLES: Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping (CHN) bt Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie (MAS) 16-21, 21-14, 21-17
WOMEN’S SINGLES: Wang Zhi Yi (CHN) bt Tomoka Miyazaki (JPN) 21-17, 21-15
MEN’S SINGLES: Weng Hong Yang (CHN) bt Kodai Naraoka (JPN) 21-17, 21-12
MEN’S DOUBLES: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin (MAS) bt He Jin Ting-Ren Xiang Yu (CHN) 13-21, 21-12, 21-17
