New Year's First Tournament: China's Badminton Team Concludes Malaysia Open with 2 Golds and 1 Silver Medal

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New Year's First Tournament: China's Badminton Team Concludes Malaysia Open with 2 Golds and 1 Silver Medal

China's badminton team concludes Malaysia Open with 2 golds and 1 silver.


After six days of intense competition, the Malaysia Open—part of the BWF World Tour Super 1000 series—concluded on January 15 in Kuala Lumpur. At the first tournament of 2023, China’s badminton team advanced to the finals in three doubles events: men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, ultimately securing 2 gold medals and 1 silver.

The mixed doubles final, which kicked off first, saw China’s world No. 1 pair, Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, take on Japan’s formidable duo of Watanabe Yuta and Higashino Arisa, ranked fourth in the world. Early on, the Japanese pair quickly found their rhythm, taking a 9-5 lead. Under pressure, the Chinese team steadily adjusted their strategy, clawing back to tie the score at 13-all. From there, the match turned into a tightly contested rally battle. At a critical moment, Zheng and Huang seized their opportunity, scoring two consecutive points to clinch the first game 21-19 in a thrilling finish. After narrowly winning the first game, the Chinese pair stepped up their game in the second set, showcasing smoother coordination and faster rotational play. Meanwhile, the Japanese team began making more unforced errors under relentless pressure from Zheng and Huang. A decisive smash by Zheng Siwei sealed the victory, giving China a commanding 21-11 win in the second game. With an impressive 2-0 victory overall, Zheng and Huang claimed their first title of the new year and secured their fourth consecutive Malaysia Open mixed doubles crown—extending their dominance at this prestigious tournament. Reflecting on the win, Huang Yaqiong remarked, "The first game was incredibly close, with many long rallies. But after we held our nerve and won that one, we approached the second game with even greater patience." Zheng Siwei added, "2023 marks a fresh start, and it feels amazing to kick off the year with this championship!"
This week at the tournament, three Chinese women’s doubles pairs advanced to the quarterfinals, with two of them making it all the way to the semifinals. In the semis, Zhang Shuxian and Zheng Yu battled fiercely for 73 minutes but ultimately fell short, losing 0-2 to Korea’s Baek Ha Na and Lee Yu Lim and missing out on the final. Meanwhile, top seeds Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan secured their spot in the final after defeating Indonesia’s Rahayu and Siti in the semifinals. The two teams had previously faced each other twice in best-of-three matches, splitting the victories evenly. This time around, the Korean duo showcased exceptional defensive skills. In the final, however, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan drew upon their lessons from the earlier encounters—and from their teammates’ narrow defeat—to execute a more dynamic attacking strategy. They maintained seamless offensive flow and held their own against the Koreans in extended rallies. When Chen Qingchen delivered a precise cross-court return that landed perfectly inside the opponent’s court, catching them off guard, the momentum shifted decisively. The Chinese pair closed out the match comfortably, winning 21-16 and 21-10 in straight games. It marked their second Malaysia Open title, following their triumph back in 2019. “We took this match very seriously,” said Jia Yifan. “Even after clinching the first game, we didn’t let our guard down. Instead, we stayed focused and executed our aggressive tactics without hesitation—after all, we lost to them last time.” Chen Qingchen added: “This was our third meeting, so we’re both much more familiar with each other’s playing styles now. But make no mistake—their defense is outstanding, and they’re definitely players we can learn a lot from.”
In the men’s doubles final, China’s post-2000s duo Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang—making their debut in a Super 1000 event—advanced all the way to the championship match. Their opponents were Indonesia’s Alfiann and Adianto, who currently hold the world No. 1 ranking. In the first game, the Chinese pair struggled with their serve-and-receive exchanges, ultimately losing 18-21. However, in the second game, trailing 9-12, they rallied brilliantly: capitalizing on their opponents’ mistakes and regaining momentum, they scored four consecutive points to take a 13-12 lead. The score remained tightly contested thereafter, but after reaching 17-all, China seized the moment to clinch three straight points, earning themselves match point at 20-17. Wang Chang sealed the crucial point with a decisive net shot, allowing China to level the match 21-18. In the deciding third game, the Indonesian duo once again stepped up their game, maintaining a commanding lead from the outset. Meanwhile, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang began making more unforced errors, ultimately falling 13-21 and losing the match 1-2. Despite missing out on the title, the young Chinese pair can take pride in their performance, which mirrored their rigorous training efforts while also providing invaluable match experience. "Our overall performance today matched what we’ve been working on in practice, and it certainly helped us gain valuable competitive experience," said Wang Chang afterward. "Still, there are definitely areas where we need to reflect and improve—especially when facing such seasoned opponents as the world’s top-ranked players. They’re incredibly experienced and play with remarkable consistency. As for us, we’re still young and have plenty of room to learn."
The men's and women's singles titles both went to the world No. 1s: Denmark's Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen defeated Japan's Koga Naraoka 2-0 to claim the men's crown, while Japan's star player Akane Yamaguchi staged a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over South Korea's An Se-young to clinch the women's title.

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