Taiwan’s men’s doubles pair, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin, ended their two-year drought on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) world tour by winning the Japan Open in Tokyo. This victory came at the same venue where they were crowned Olympic champions in 2021, marking Taiwan’s first-ever Olympic gold in badminton. However, their success at Yoyogi National Gimnasium two years ago was followed by a series of failures on the tour, leading many to dismiss their Olympic victory as a one-time occurrence.
Returning to Yoyogi this time, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin proved their critics wrong by winning their first major tour title in Tokyo. Lee Yang, ranked 18th in the world, defeated local hopefuls Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi 21-19, 21-13 in the final, sending a warning to their rivals ahead of the World Championships in Copenhagen.
In the men’s singles event, Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen continued his impressive form since returning from a hamstring injury last month. He clinched his second title by defeating Jonatan Christie of Indonesia 21-7, 21-18. Axelsen had previously won the Indonesia Open without dropping a game, and his flawless performance in Tokyo, where he also won the Olympic gold, makes him a strong contender for the upcoming World Championships.
“What an amazing week it has been here in Tokyo, really happy to clinch my second Japan Open title!” tweeted Axelsen, who had previously won the tournament in 2015.
In the women’s singles, South Korean An Se-young continued her remarkable season by winning her sixth title of the year. She defeated China’s He Bingjiao 21-15, 21-11 in the final.
The women’s doubles event witnessed a major upset as South Korean pair Kim So-young and Kong Hee-yong defeated the world’s top-ranked pair, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan, 21-17, 21-14.
