China’s badminton team experienced a devastating tournament at the Denmark Open, suffering multiple high-profile exits across the singles and doubles draws that left domestic media outlets voicing severe dismay over the results. In an evaluation published on Oct. 18, 2024, Chinese sports portal Netease reported that the national team finished the semifinal round with a stark 2-to-4 record, securing only a single division berth in the tournament finals after an array of unexpected defeats.

Mixed Doubles Dominance Overshadows Sweeping Semifinal Defeats

While the mixed doubles category provided the delegation’s sole sanctuary by guaranteeing both the championship and runner-up trophies through an all-Chinese final between Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi versus Zhang Chengzhi and Wei Yaxin, every other bracket saw Chinese contenders eliminated before the championship rounds. Netease highlighted that outside of the mixed doubles monopoly, the nation’s remaining semifinalists in men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and women’s singles all bowed out.

Top-Ranked Doubles and Singles Pairs Stumble in Odense

The exodus accelerated rapidly across the main draws. In men’s doubles, world No. 2 Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang suffered a 1-2 comeback defeat against Indonesia’s Alfian and Fikri, ranked third in the world. Netease pointed out that the Chinese duo appeared remarkably relaxed during the match, frequently smiling on court without displaying visible competitive pressure, ultimately failing to sustain momentum against an erratic opponent.

In women’s doubles, Bao Lijing and Cao Zihan fell in straight games, 0-2, to Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah. According to Netease, the Chinese pair lacked tactical adaptability and accumulated unforced errors, while their opponents maintained stable defense and clinical execution. Meanwhile, world No. 2 women’s singles player Wang Zhiyi encountered a steep hurdle against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, ranked third in the world, losing the first game 10-21 and dropping the second after surrendering an early 10-4 lead. The defeat leveled Wang’s head-to-head record against Yamaguchi at 10-10 and restored the Japanese star to the world No. 2 ranking.

An Se-young Stands as South Korea’s Final Hope

As China looks inward following its difficult outing, South Korea faces a similar bottleneck with only women’s singles world No. 1 An Se-young remaining in contention for a title. South Korean hopes in men’s doubles ended when Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae lost 0-2 in the semifinals to their rivals, Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, ranked fourth in the world.

An Se-young advanced to face Akane Yamaguchi in the championship match on the night of Oct. 18, 2024. A victory would extend her winning streak to 44 matches, secure her second Denmark Open title, and elevate her seasonal record to 61 wins against a single defeat.