Latest news with #BWFWorldTourFinals

Kuwait Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Local badminton star Shi Yuqi wins China Open men's singles
CHANGZHOU: China's Shi Yuqi hits a return to Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen during their men's singles semi-final at the China Open badminton tournament in Changzhou. – AFP CHANGZHOU: Local badminton powerhouse Shi Yuqi surged to victory in the China Open men's singles final on Sunday, overcoming a slow start and adding to his country's near sweep of the competition. The women's singles title decider, which also featured two Chinese players, saw second-ranked Wang Zhiyi defeat number four Han Yue 21-8, 21-13 in a dominant 39-minute performance. That came just after men's world number three Shi bounced back from a game down to beat Wang Zhengxing 14-21, 21-14, 21-15 in 64 minutes. 'The impact, speed and strength of younger players are definitely better than mine,' said 29-year-old Shi after beating 23-year-old Wang. 'So I can only say that I tried my best to withstand some of his speed.' The victor's hometown of Nantong is a two-hour drive from the competition host city of Changzhou, both in China's eastern Jiangsu province. Shi's latest victory adds to his men's singles crown at the BWF World Tour Finals in December — his second such win in the prestigious competition. In this year's only China Open competition not won by the home country, Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri outperformed Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 21-15, 21-14 to take the men's doubles title. In the women's doubles, top-ranked duo Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China beat fellow countrywomen Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian 24-22, 17-21, 21-14 in a battle lasting 69 minutes. Mixed doubles play saw China's Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping defeat compatriots Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 23-21, 21-17 in 47 minutes. — AFP


The Hindu
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
China Open 2025: Shi Yuqi wins men's singles; Wang Zhiyi lifts women's title
Local badminton powerhouse Shi Yuqi surged to victory in the China Open men's singles final on Sunday, overcoming a slow start and adding to his country's near sweep of the competition. The women's singles title decider, which also featured two Chinese players, saw second-ranked Wang Zhiyi defeat number four Han Yue 21-8, 21-13 in a dominant 39-minute performance. That came just after men's world number three Shi bounced back from a game down to beat Wang Zhengxing 14-21, 21-14, 21-15 in 64 minutes. 'The impact, speed and strength of younger players are definitely better than mine,' said 29-year-old Shi after beating 23-year-old Wang. 'So I can only say that I tried my best to withstand some of his speed.' ALSO READ | Tanvi Sharma, Vennala Kalagotla win bronze medals at Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2025 The victor's hometown of Nantong is a two-hour drive from the competition host city of Changzhou, both in China's eastern Jiangsu province. Shi's latest victory adds to his men's singles crown at the BWF World Tour Finals in December -- his second such win in the prestigious competition. In this year's only China Open competition not won by the home country, Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri outperformed Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 21-15, 21-14 to take the men's doubles title. In the women's doubles, top-ranked duo Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China beat fellow countrywomen Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian 24-22, 17-21, 21-14 in a battle lasting 69 minutes. Mixed doubles play saw China's Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping defeat compatriots Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 23-21, 21-17 in 47 minutes.


New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Shi Yuqi wins China Open men's singles crown
CHANGZHOU (China): Local badminton powerhouse Shi Yuqi surged to victory in the China Open men's singles final today, overcoming a slow start and adding to his country's near sweep of the competition. The women's singles title decider, which also featured two Chinese players, saw second-ranked Wang Zhiyi defeat number four Han Yue 21-8, 21-13 in a dominant 39-minute performance. That came just after men's world number three Shi bounced back from a game down to beat Wang Zhengxing 14-21, 21-14, 21-15 in 64 minutes. "The impact, speed and strength of younger players are definitely better than mine," said 29-year-old Shi after beating 23-year-old Wang. "So I can only say that I tried my best to withstand some of his speed." The victor's hometown of Nantong is a two-hour drive from the competition host city of Changzhou, both in China's eastern Jiangsu province. Shi's latest victory adds to his men's singles crown at the BWF World Tour Finals in December – his second such win in the prestigious competition. In this year's only China Open competition not won by the home country, Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri outperformed Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 21-15, 21-14 to take the men's doubles title. In the women's doubles, top-ranked duo Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China beat fellow countrywomen Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian 24-22, 17-21, 21-14 in a battle lasting 69 minutes. Mixed doubles play saw China's Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping defeat compatriots Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 23-21, 21-17 in 47 minutes.


The Star
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Sze Fei commits to pro career with Izzuddin under coach Kok Siang
National men's doubles shuttlers Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani staying put as pros under coach Teo Kok Siang. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: Former world No. 1 men's doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani have swiftly dismissed speculation that they intend to return to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM). Sze Fei-Izzuddin, who will begin their campaign in Changzhou this week as the reigning China Open champions, stressed that they remain fully committed to their status as professional players. The rumours had suggested that the duo were planning a return to the national team to train under experienced Indonesian coach Herry Iman Pierngadi. However, Sze Fei hit back, stating that they are still loyal to their current coach, Teo Kok Siang. "We wish to clarify that we are happy with our status as a professional pair and reaching the Japan Open final has further strengthened our confidence and drive to continue improve under the guidance of our coach, Teo Kok Siang. "Our relationship with BAM remains great, and we always appreciate BAM for the support shown to us throughout our stint with them. "Hope this can stop the untrue rumours out there," said Sze Fei, who posted the statement on his social media. Rejoining the national team won't be a simple move for Sze Fei-Izzuddin, given their existing sponsorship deal with Victor. Nevertheless, BAM remain open to allowing them to train alongside other players at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM), although it is understood that no official request has been made by the pair so far. Sze Fei-Izzuddin officially left BAM in September last year, when they were ranked world No. 12. Since turning professional, the duo have impressed with their performances, making history by winning the China Open last year. They went on to add the Arctic Open title to their collection before finishing as runners-up at the BWF World Tour Finals in December. Just last week in Tokyo, Sze Fei-Izzuddin finished as runners-up at the Japan Open, and they will be looking to build on that momentum when they open their China Open campaign today against South Korea's Kang Min-hyuk-Ki Dong-ju in the first round.


The Star
21-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Lee biding his time
Being fair: Lee Zii Jia serving as umpire during an exhibition match in China. — Victor PETALING JAYA: Is men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia truly getting better, or has he actually been fine all along? Will he return to competition at the World Championships in Paris next month, after skipping all tournaments since March due to an ankle injury? Concerns remain over his fitness, especially with questions mounting over why his ankle injury has yet to heal after more than three months, leaving him still unable to return to competition. Zii Jia had skipped last week's Japan Open in Tokyo and this week's China Open in Changzhou due to the injury. Ankle injuries typically take between two and eight weeks to heal. However, according to sports medicine specialist Dr Hazwan Khair, Zii Jia's ankle issue appears to be far more complex. It is not surprising that he needs a longer recovery period before making a full return to competition. 'Getting back to his best form is a subjective matter. While two to eight weeks is the usual recovery time for common ankle injuries based on most case studies, it really depends on the nature of the injury,' said Dr Hazwan, who treated Selangor footballer Faisal Halim back to his feet. 'If it involves the cartilage, ligaments, or bone marrow swelling, also known as bone oedema, then it will definitely take longer to heal. The player himself may be frustrated, and fans are understandably questioning the delay in his return. But sometimes, we need to understand that the tissue capacity has to be gradually rebuilt before a full comeback is possible,' said Hazwan. Zii Jia's injury is a recurring one, which he first sustained during the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou last December. He attempted a comeback in March after missing several tournaments earlier, but only managed to compete in the Orleans Masters and the All-England before announcing that he would shift his focus back to the recovery process. 'When someone has suffered an ankle injury, the risk of recurrence is always higher compared to an ankle that has never been injured,' said Dr Hazwan. 'In Zii Jia's case, we have to be prepared for the possibility of it happening again. 'The key to managing this is to minimise the risk and optimise his movements. 'From a coach's perspective, it is important to monitor every aspect of his condition, including training load, recovery, ice baths, post-training and post-tournament massage, and rest. Everything needs to be taken into account,' he added. While his injury recovery is a concern, Zii Jia however, showed that his posting of cryptic messages depicting sketches of a series of disturbing images on his account, was probably an artistic interest. After nearly two weeks of speculation among badminton fans around the world about the former Asian champion's mental health condition, Zii Jia made a surprise public appearance at the Victor brand conference and new product launch in China on Sunday. Zii Jia was one of the featured faces of the badminton brand, modelling the new collection for the 2026 season on a runway. Other notable appearances at the event included 2024 Paris Olympic gold medallists Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong, who have both retired, as well as former men's doubles player Li Junhui, who was reunited with his old partner Liu Yuchen. Also present was Indonesia's men's singles player Jonatan Christie. Following the event, he didn't just attend a fan meet-and-greet session but also took part in a friendly exhibition match, where he even served as the umpire.