The 2024 BWF China Masters, the final 750 event leading up to the yearend finals, concluded on Sunday at the newly renovated Shenzhen Sports Center. Over 200 players from more than 20 countries and regions gathered for the tournament, marking a pivotal moment in the race to the prestigious BWF World Tour Finals.
In a thrilling mixed doubles final, China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping overcame a first-game deficit to defeat Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin 2-1, securing their sixth title of the season and extending their winning streak to 19 matches. Reflecting on their hard-fought victory, Huang said, “Although we lost the first game, we managed to catch up after falling significantly behind. Feng and I kept encouraging each other, reminding one another to believe in ourselves and trust each other.”
The excitement continued as South Korea’s Olympic champion An Se-young triumphed over China’s Gao Fangjie in the women’s singles final. Gao expressed her determination after the match, saying, “Before the match, I did a lot of preparation, but my performance on the court didn’t go as well as I had hoped. This match allowed me to see the gap between us, giving me greater motivation to improve.”
In the women’s doubles final, Chinese pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning claimed victory over compatriots Li Yijing and Luo Xumin with a straight-set win of 2-0. Tan shared insights on their success: “This match wasn’t easy because we are quite familiar with each other. However, we were probably better prepared. Last year, it was the Japanese women’s doubles pairs who faced off in the final. This year, both of our Chinese women’s doubles pairs were determined to seek ‘revenge’ and didn’t want to miss out on the gold medal on home soil.”
As the BWF World Tour Finals approach, set to take place in Hangzhou next month, Chinese players who have secured their spots are gearing up to strive for top results. The recent hosting of the China Masters in Shenzhen has not only highlighted the city’s capability to host major sporting events but also set the stage for the 15th National Games scheduled for 2025.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
