Chen Yufei and Viktor Axelsen win classics at Malaysia Open 2022, as Kento Momota and Ratchanok Intanon also win Saturday semis
The reigning Olympic men's champion defeated Jonatan Christie at the Super 750 badminton event, while Chen beat Tai Tzu Yiing in a repeat of the Tokyo 2020 final.
Badminton
Olympic badminton gold medallists Chen Yufei and Viktor Axelsen both came through epic semi-finals at the 2022 Malaysia Open on Saturday (2nd July).
Tokyo men's singles champion Axelsen extend his tour win streak to 30 matches but was pushed all the way by Jonatan Christie. Denmark's Axelsen took the opening game 21-15. Indonesia's Christie won the second 22-20, before Axelsen won the third 21-11 to seal his place in the final. He'll face second seed Momota Kento of Japan, who beat Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-11, 21-12 in the other semi.
Chinese shuttler Chen Yufei beat Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu Ying in a three-game women's singles semi. Yufei lost the opener 21-19 and had to come from behind in both the second and third games, which she won 21-13 and 21-15 to book her final spot.
Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand beat China's Wang Zhiyi in the other women's singles semi, 21-8, 21-18, to secure her berth in Sunday's final.
2022 Malaysia Open - Singles semi-final results on Saturday 2 July
Women's singles
- Ratchanok Intanon beat Wang Zhiyi: 21-8, 21-18.
- Tai Tzu Ying beat Chen Yufei 19-21, 21-13, 21-15.
Men's singles
- Momota Kento beat Kunlavut Vitidsarn 21-11, 21-12.
- Viktor Axelsen beat Jonatan Christie 21-15, 20-22, 21-11.
2022 Malaysia Open - Results from the doubles semi-finals on Saturday 2 July
Mixed doubles (XD)
- Zheng Si Wei / Huang Ya Qiong (China) beat Mathias Christiansen / Alexandra Boje (Denmark): 21-18, 21-8.
- Dechapol Puavaranukroh / Sapsiree Taerarranachai (Thailand) beat Wang Yi Lyu / Huang Dong Ping (China): 23-21, 19-21, 21-14.
Women's doubles (WD)
- Apriyani Rahayu / Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (Indonesia) beat Jeong Na Eun / Kim Hye Jeong (Korea): 21-14, 22-20.
- Zheng Shu Xian / Zheng Yu (China) beat Matsumoto Mayu / Nagahari Wakana (Japan): 11-21, 21-19, 21-17.
Men's doubles (MD)
- Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Indonesia) beat Goh Sze Fei / Nur Izzuddin (Malaysia): 21-14, 21-12.
- Takuro Hoki / Yugo Kobayashi (Japan) beat Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik (Malaysia): 23-21, 21-9.