Shi, Wang triumph in all-Chinese China Open finals
It was another strong showing for world number three Shi following his Japan Open title last week. The 29-year-old came back from a game down to beat Wang Zhengxing 14-21 21-14 21-15 in little more than an hour.
Wang had a narrow 7-5 lead early in the second game, but Shi took over from there, dominating the rallies and never trailing again. It was Shi's third Super 1000 title of the year after winning the Malaysia Open and the All England Open.
In the women's final, defending champion Wang Zhiyi secured a dominant 21-8 21-13 win over Han Yue, who had advanced after South Korea's reigning Olympic champion An Se-young retired injured in the semi-finals.
The 24-year-old world number two ended a frustrating run of three straight Super 1000 final defeats this year, all to world number one An. It was Wang's second title of the year, adding to her Malaysia Masters win, where she also beat Han in the final.
Wang surged to a 13-4 lead in the opener and though Han tried to claw back in the second game, narrowing the gap to 17-13, Wang's sharp movement and relentless aggression helped her close out the match in just over half an hour.
China's supremacy on home soil could not be questioned as foreign players fell at the semi-final stage in all formats except for the men's doubles, which was won by Indonesians Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri.
The pair beat Malaysian second seeded duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi-Yik 21-15 21-14 and performed the viral "aura farming" Indonesian boat race dance in front of the Chinese crowd, much to their delight.
It was the first time in a decade that an unseeded men's pair has won the China Open.
In women's doubles, top seeds Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning overcame Zhang Shuxian and Jia Yifan 24-22 17-21 21-14. Top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping defeated second-seeded Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 23-21 21-17 to clinch the mixed doubles title. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Spain deserved more, says Tome after painful loss to England
BASEL, Switzerland - Spain coach Montse Tome was left ruing her side's inability to take their chances as the world champions fell to a penalty shootout by England in the Women's Euros final on Sunday after they dominated a game that finished 1-1 after 120 minutes. The Spaniards had 24 attempts on goal, but England's grit and determination dragged them to a shootout where they came up short, failing to convert three of their four spot-kicks as Chloe Kelly fired England to victory. "I think this team deserved more. I think we worked hard for a long time to reach this moment, to reach this final against a high-level national team as an event and what we saw in the game makes me think that the team deserved it," Tome told a media conference. "This is a sport, you must know how to lose, and today we missed the penalties." Spain took a first-half lead but England equalised through Alessia Russo and battled superbly to take the game to a 1-1 draw and a shootout. "I think we were better, but football is a sport where the best team doesn't always are an excellent national team, they showed their level during the tournament. They draw, and then they defend themselves to get the penalties," Tome said. The 42-year-old coach could not hide her disappointment that her squad had come up short of another major title. "This is our profession. what we worked for, what they worked for deserved a different ending," she said. "That's why today I have the feeling that we almost reached it, but it's gone. I really value all the work done -- we wrote history during the whole tournament, and the team was good," Tome added. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Pogacar wary of burnout despite Tour triumph, shuns talk of chasing Merckx
Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 21 - Mantes-la-Ville to Paris - Paris, France - July 27, 2025 UAE Team Emirates XRG's Tadej Pogacar walks onto the podium while wearing the yellow jersey after winning the Tour de France REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier PARIS - Although Tadej Pogacar appears on the verge of emulating cycling great Eddy Merckx, the Slovenian says he is in no rush to chase history, warning that the risk of burnout looms large in one of the most mentally and physically demanding sports. The 26-year-old sealed his fourth Tour de France title on Sunday after three weeks of dominance, but admitted fatigue crept in during the final days. 'We were comfortably in the yellow, but yeah, I was a bit tired in the last week, to be honest,' Pogacar told a press conference, adding that for now he wanted to enjoy the moment in Paris rather than dissect mistakes. While his achievements have already placed him among the all-time greats, Pogacar said cycling's relentless calendar and obsession with training create a dangerous cycle that can leave riders mentally and physically drained. "Burnouts happen in sports, in a lot of sports, mental burnout, physical burnout. We train a lot. Cyclists are sometimes too obsessed with training, and everybody wants to train more and more and more," he explained. The world champion warned that overtraining combined with constant racing demands can trap riders in a cycle of fatigue that rarely allows time for recovery. 'You see some riders have fatigue too early in the season and then the team needs you to race, race, race. In the end, you just keep going into this circle and you never recover," the UAE Emirates-XRG rider said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sewage shaft failure linked to sinkhole; PUB calling safety time-out on similar works islandwide Singapore Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole did not happen overnight: Experts Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Asia Singapore-only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt World Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel opens aid routes Sport Arsenal beat Newcastle in five-goal thriller to bring Singapore Festival of Football to a close Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 "Then you come to October and you're like, finally a break. And then in December, you're trying to do it all over again." For Pogacar, that risk is why he refuses to set lofty targets such as joining Merckx and Miguel Indurain with five Tour titles. 'Obviously it's not the goal to win five tours. Right now, I have no clear goals. Maybe the world championships this year and (the Tour of) Lombardy, but for now I just enjoy the moment and will think about the next goals quite soon,' he said. Pogacar also credited rival Jonas Vingegaard for pushing him to higher levels, calling their five-year duel a privilege. 'We just push each other to the next level,' he said. It is the first time that two riders finish first and second in five consecutive Tours, Vingegaard having beaten Pogacar in 2022 and 2023 while the Slovenian edged his rival out this year, in 2021 and 2024. After three gruelling weeks, Pogacar savoured the relaxed final stage in Paris. 'Today was pure racing … and I enjoyed it quite a bit,' he said with a smile. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Fernandez cruises past Kalinskaya to claim Washington Open title
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Jul 26, 2025; Washington, D.C., USA; Leylah Fernandez (CAN) hits a forehand against Elena Rybakina (KAZ)(not pictured) in a women's singles semi-final on day six of the Mubadala Citi DC Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images/File Photo Leylah Fernandez earned the biggest win of her career as she beat Anna Kalinskaya 6-1 6-2 in the Washington Open final on Sunday. After a brief rain delay in the nation's capital, Fernandez - who was just one game away from defeat in the semi-finals - overcame the extreme humidity to capture her first WTA 500 title in her first final in over a year. The Canadian gained the upper hand early on, securing a break thanks to a Kalinskaya double fault, before breaking again with a sharp return winner. The Russian world number 48 appeared to struggle physically as Fernandez calmly served out the opening set in just under half an hour. Kalinskaya could not find her stride in the match, dropping serve twice in the second set, while the 22-year-old Fernandez remained in control, never looking back on her way to the title. Fernandez will look to carry her momentum into her home tournament, the Canadian Open in Montreal, where she faces Australia's Maya Joint in the first round. Kalinskaya, who will play against American Ann Li, remains in search of her maiden WTA title after another setback in a final. REUTERS
