China’s Lu Guangzu achieved a significant milestone in his badminton career, securing his first world tour title in six years. The victory came in a thrilling final match at the Korea Open, where he bested Taiwan’s Lee Chia-hao in a hard-fought three-game encounter.
Lu, currently ranked 13th in the world and seeded seventh in the tournament, displayed his resilience throughout the match, eventually emerging victorious with a score of 21-16, 20-22, 21-18. This victory marked his first trophy since the Canada Open in 2018. Notably, Lee Chia-hao, ranked 30th in the world, entered the tournament unseeded.
The tournament also saw notable absences from top players. China’s world number one, Shi Yuqi, was eliminated in the quarter-finals, while Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, the reigning Olympic champion, did not participate.
In the women’s singles final, South Korea’s Kim Ga-eun claimed the title by walkover against Wang Zhiyi of China, who was seeded second in the tournament.
The mixed doubles final witnessed a victory for Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, seeded fourth, who overcame Guo Xinwa and Li Qian of China, unseeded in the tournament. The match concluded with a score of 17-21, 21-13, 21-13.
The men’s doubles final featured a remarkable upset, as Indonesia’s seventh-seeded duo, Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana, defeated South Korea’s top-seeded pair, Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae, with a score of 18-21, 21-9, 21-8.
In the women’s doubles final, South Korea’s sixth-seeded Jeong Na-eun and Kim Hye-jeong emerged victorious, defeating Malaysia’s fourth-seeded Pearly Tan and Muralitharan Thinaah with a score of 21-12, 21-11.
The Korea Open, with its exciting matches and dramatic upsets, showcased the intense competition and evolving landscape of the badminton world.
