Latest news with #Changzhou
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Costly call: Wrong strategy doomed Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik in China Open final, says coach
KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — National men's doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik lost in the final of the 2025 China Open Badminton Championships yesterday because they adopted the wrong strategy. This is the opinion of national men's doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi after watching Aaron-Wooi Yik go down 15-21, 14-21 to Indonesia's Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in the Super 1000 tournament at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Changzhou. Herry believes that their early strategic errors opened the door for their opponents to dominate from the outset. 'We need to admit that Fajar-Muhammad Shohibul had a better game plan. We, on the other hand, used the wrong strategy in the first game and were left trailing in their wake. 'Their 'no-lift' play (driving the shuttle flat and at pace) was extremely good in the first game. Their attacking quality, especially in the first game, was excellent… they hardly made any mistakes,' he said when contacted by Bernama. Herry also admitted that the strong draught at the venue may have affected Aaron-Wooi Yik's momentum in the final. The defeat marks a worrying trend Aaron-Wooi Yik, the 2022 world champions and two-time Olympic bronze medallists who have now lost six consecutive Super 1000 finals, inluding the All England (2019, 2024); Thailand Open (2020); China Open (2023); and Indonesia Open (2023). For their win yesterday, Fajar-Muhammad Shohibul took home USD148,000 (about RM625,000), while runners-up Aaron-Wooi Yik pocketed USD70,000 (about RM296,000). — Bernama
Reuters
3 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Shi, Wang triumph in all-Chinese China Open finals
July 27 (Reuters) - Shi Yuqi and Wang Zhiyi lifted the men's and women's titles at the China Open on Sunday, prevailing in the all-Chinese finals to cap a golden week in Changzhou. 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.
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Sixth final, no title: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik fall short in China Open Super 1000 showdown
CHANGZHOU (China), July 27 — Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik reportedly fell short of clinching their maiden World Tour Super 1000 title after losing to Indonesia's unseeded pair in the men's doubles final at the China Open. According to Free Malaysia Today, the world No. 2 Malaysians were beaten 15-21, 14-21 in 35 minutes at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Changzhou, with the Indonesian duo dominating from start to finish. Fajar and Shohibul, playing only their second tournament together after returning at the Japan Open last week, delivered a sharp, aggressive performance that left Aaron-Wooi Yik struggling to respond. It was a disappointing outcome for the Malaysians, who were also runners-up at last year's China Open, having lost to home favourites Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the 2023 final. Aaron and Wooi Yik reprotedly took home US$70,000 (RM295,146) as runners-up, while the Indonesian pair claimed the winner's purse of US$148,000 (RM624,000). This was the sixth time Aaron-Wooi Yik reached the final of a World Tour Super 1000 event, but the title remains elusive.
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Aaron-Wooi Yik storm into China Open final after straight-sets win over Indian rivals
KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — National men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are through to the finals of the 2025 China Open after beating Indian pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty in their semifinal match at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Changzhou yesterday. The Malaysians hardly broke a sweat as they swept the Indians aside 21-13, 21-17 in only 42 minutes, raking up their 11th win out of 14 meetings. Aaron-Wooi Yik will go up against Indonesians Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Shohibul Fikri, who sprung a surprise on Chinese pair Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang by winning 21-19, 21-17 in their semifinal match. The Malaysian pair have collected three titles this season - the 2025 Asian Badminton Championship, the 2025 Thailand Open and the 2025 Singapore Open. — Bernama
Reuters
4 days ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Shi, Wang set up all-Chinese final at China Open, An retires with injury
July 26 (Reuters) - Chinese men's third seed Shi Yuqi defeated Taiwanese sixth seed Chou Tien-chen in the China Open semi-finals in Changzhou on Saturday, while South Korean women's world number one An Se-Young retired due to injury. Shi sealed a 21-13 22-20 win over Chou and will face Wang Zhengxing in an all-Chinese final. Wang delivered an upset in his semi-final, defeating Denmark's second seed Anders Antonsen 21-18 21-15. In the women's singles, Chinese fourth seed Han Yue advanced after An, the 2023 world champion and 2024 Paris Olympic gold medallist, retired midway through their match. An lost the first set 21-19 and appeared to struggle in the second, withdrawing after Han established an 11-6 lead. Following An's exit, the women's singles final will also feature an all-Chinese matchup, as Han prepares to face defending champion and second seed Wang Zhiyi. Wang cruised into the final after defeating Japan's former world champion and third seed Akane Yamaguchi 22-20 21-11.
