BWF China Open 2024: Loh Kean Yew squeezes past Tanaka Yushi to second round as Axelsen crashes out
Axelsen loses final rematch, while the Singaporean is forced to go the distance vs the unheralded Japanese in Changzhou.
Badminton
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Viktor Axelsen suffered a shock first round exit at the BWF China Open 2024 on Wednesday (18 September).
The Dane, seeded second, was beaten by Lei Lan Xi, 21-19, 17-21, 21-16 in Changzhou, in a repeat of the final from last week's event in Hong Kong, China.
Lei will next play Kenta Nishimoto of Japan.
Loh Kean Yew sweated out a three-game win over Tanaka Yushi of Japan to reach the second round of the men's singles.
Loh was made to work during the 62-minute victory over the world No. 30, progressing 21-17, 17-21, 21-12.
After capturing the opening set, Loh probably should have done better with a 13-9 lead in the second game but left enough room for Tanaka to turn the tables on him and force a decisive third. Loh, however, managed to regain control down the stretch when it mattered.
The two traded point for point early on but from 5-5, the Paris 2024 Olympic quarter-finalist began pulling away and never looked back, pouncing on his second match point for the win.
It was the first time since last month’s Olympic Games that Loh made it past the first round of a tournament, his third post-Paris.
Also in the men's event, the new number one in the 2024 World Tour rankings Chou Tien Chen, top seed Shi Yu Qi, and Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, and Jonatan Christie all won their first round matches.
The biggest surprise in the women's singles was number two seed Tai Tzu Ying exiting to unseeded Julie Dawall Jakobsen. The Dane won 21-14, 7-21, 21-19 in the first round encounter.
World Tour rankings leader Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand beat Ukraine's Polina Buhrova, 21-23, 21-6, 21-9.