China's national badminton team clinched 8 wins and 1 loss, while Wang Hongyang staged a thrilling three-game comeback to secure a 2-1 victory at the Malaysia Masters.

On May 24, Beijing time, the 2023 Malaysia Masters entered its second day of competition, with the first-round matches continuing across all singles events. That day, the Chinese badminton team played a total of 9 matches, securing a record of 8 wins and 1 loss.

Image source: Xinhua News Agency

In the men's singles match, Wang Hongyang faced off against Kento Momota, the former world No. 1. Right from the start, Wang Hongyang struggled with numerous unforced errors, allowing Kento Momota to cruise to an easy first-game victory. However, in the second game, Wang Hongyang staged a remarkable comeback, saving three consecutive match points to clinch the win—this pivotal moment shifted the momentum of the match. Ultimately, after a grueling three-game battle, Wang Hongyang emerged victorious with a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory!

After the match officially began, Kento Momota played with remarkable patience, consistently using his four-corner drop shots to keep Wang Hongyang on the defensive. Combined with Wang's tricky return placements, Momota managed to score three consecutive points early on, gaining a crucial lead. Determined to turn the tide, Wang Hongyang tried to speed up his game, eager to break free from Momota’s control. However, his impatience led to numerous unforced errors. Meanwhile, the seasoned former world No. 1 grew increasingly composed as the match progressed, entering the technical timeout with an impressive 11-7 advantage.

Image source: Xinhua News Agency

After returning to the court, Kento Momota, holding a commanding lead, stuck to his signature controlled playing style—his favorite approach—which left Wang Hongyang struggling to find his rhythm. Instead of capitalizing on opportunities that weren’t exactly ideal, Wang forced risky net attacks, only to rack up unnecessary errors. This allowed Momota to quickly extend his lead and clinch the first game 21-13.

After losing the first game, Ong Hongyang came out in the second match with crystal-clear focus, tightly pinning Kento Momota near the baseline and patiently waiting for unforced errors from his opponent. Capitalizing on those opportunities, Ong launched aggressive net attacks, taking an early 5-1 lead. However, as Momota ramped up his powerful mid-to-backcourt smashes, he gradually turned the tide, quickly leveling the score at 6-all. Fortunately, Ong Hongyang managed to withstand his opponent’s fierce comeback, extending his lead to 11-9 by the end of the first half. When play resumed, Momota abruptly shifted gears, abandoning his typically controlled style and opting instead for a faster, more aggressive approach. This sudden change in pace completely disrupted Ong’s tactical setup, allowing Momota to surge ahead and earn two match points at 20-17. But Ong Hongyang refused to go down without a fight, rallying brilliantly to save both match points—and eventually evened the score at 21-23, forcing a thrilling tiebreaker.

Takuma Obata, who had missed a golden opportunity earlier, managed to seize the initiative in the deciding game, rallying with two crucial points to gain the upper hand over Wang Hongyang. However, as his stamina began to wane, he gradually found himself on the defensive end. Wang Hongyang quickly closed the gap and even took an 11-9 lead into the court switch. After play resumed, Obata launched one last desperate comeback attempt—but his fading energy severely limited the effectiveness of his attacks. Ultimately, Wang Hongyang clinched the match 21-16, securing the victory!

Mixed Doubles: Feng Yanzhe/Huang Dongping vs. Dejan/Vedjasa

Women's Singles: Ayaka Ohori vs. Sindhu

Men's Singles: Prannoy vs. Li Shifeng

Men's Doubles: Takuro Hashimoto/Yugo Kobayashi vs. Marcus Gideon/Kevin Sukamuljo

Women's Singles: Akane Yamaguchi vs. Mia

Women's Doubles: Reina Miura/Ayako Sakamoto vs. Chen Kang Le/Tinna

Men's Singles: Ng Ka Long vs. Lakshya

Men's Doubles: Choi Ratek/Gim Won-ho vs. Soh Wooi Yik/Teo Ee Yi

Men's Singles: Lin Junyi vs. Lee Zii Jia

Men's Doubles: Ong Yew Sin/Zhang Yu vs Lu Jingyao/Yang Bohan

Women's Singles: Ayaka Ohori vs. Sindhu

Mixed Doubles: Hall/McPherson vs. Ellis/Smith

Mixed Doubles: Yuta Kaneko/Misaki Matsutomo vs. Dechapol/Sapsiree

Women's Singles: Shen Youzhen vs. Mariska

Men's Singles: Jonatan vs Kento Momota

Women's Doubles: Kim So-yeong/Kong Hee-yong vs. Hsu Ya-ching/Lin Wan-ching

Women's Singles: Li Miaomiao vs. Li Wenshan

Men's Singles: Wang Hongyang vs. Kim Ting

Men's Doubles: Dunn/Hall vs. Wan Weicong/Zheng Kaiwen

Women's Doubles: Puttita/Supissara vs. Rahayu/Ramadhanti

Men's Singles: Gemke vs. Naraoka Koga

Mixed Doubles: Kim Won-ho / Jeong Na-eun vs. Yamashita Kyohei / Shinozuka Naru

Women's Singles: Zhang Yiman vs. Kim Ga-eun

Mixed Doubles: Jiang Zhenbang / Wei Yaxin vs. Jordan / Melati

Women's Singles: Jaksfield vs. Wang Ziyi

Men's Singles: Magnus vs. Adinata

Men's Singles: Kunlavut vs. Srikanth

Women's Doubles: Iwanaga Suzume/Nakatani Kie vs. Baek Ha-na/Lee So-hee

Women's Doubles: Haruka Hirokami/Yuna Kato vs. Jung Na-eun/Kim Hye-jung

Men's Doubles: Lee Jieh-hui / Yang Po-hsuan vs. Ahsan / Hendra

Men's Doubles: He Jiting/Zhou Haodong vs. Karnando/Martin

Mixed Doubles: Kusyanto/Kusumawati vs. Supak/Supisara

Mixed Doubles: Yang Boxuan/Hu Lingfang vs. Seo Seung-jae/Chae Yoo-jung

Women's Doubles: Matsumoto Mayu/Nagahara Wakana vs. Maiken/Tijsen

Mixed Doubles: Rivaldy/Mentari vs. Tabeling/Piek

Women's Doubles: Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida vs. Wenmei Li/Xuanxuan Liu

Men's Doubles: Lee Fang-chih / Lee Fang-jen vs. Chang Ke-chi / Pai Li-wei

Women's Doubles: Lee Yu-lim/Shin Seung-chan vs. Fukushima Yuki/Hirota Sayaka

Women's Singles: Han Yue vs. Xu Wenqi

Men's Doubles: Kang Min-hyuk / Seo Seung-jae vs. Koga Teruaki / Saito Taiichi

Women's Singles: Busanan vs. Li Yifeng