Lu Guangzu Ends Title Drought at Korea Open 2024
Trang Napie
Fri Sep 06 2024
Lu Guangzu, seeded number 7 at the Korea Open 2024 badminton tournament, claimed victory in a hard-fought match to lift his first title since the Canada Open in 2018. This win marked his first World Tour title in six years, bringing both joy and drama to the badminton world.
The Chinese player Lu Guangzu, ranked 13th in the world, faced a tough challenge in the final against Lee Chia-hao from Chinese Taipei, who was unseeded. In a thrilling encounter, Lu Guangzu emerged victorious with a scoreline of 21-16, 20-22, 21-18, securing the coveted Korea Open title.
The tournament also saw surprises as the world number 1, Shi Yuqi of China, was eliminated in the quarter-finals, while Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, the back-to-back Olympic gold medalist in Paris 2024, did not participate. In the women's singles, 7th seed Kim Ga-eun of South Korea defeated the 2nd seed Wang Zhiyi from China who retired during the match.
In the mixed doubles final, Malaysia's 4th seeds Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei triumphed over China's Guo Xinwa and Li Qian with a score of 17-21, 21-13, 21-13. Meanwhile, Indonesia's 7th seeds Leo Rolly Carnando and Bagas Maulana upset top-seeded Koreans Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae in the men's doubles final, winning 18-21, 21-9, 21-8.
In the women's doubles event, South Korea's 6th seeds Jeong Na-eun and Kim Hye-jeong clinched the title by defeating Malaysia's 4th seeds Pearly Tan and Muralitharan Thinaah 21-12, 21-11 in the final.
Lu Guangzu's victory at the Korea Open 2024 ended his title drought and showcased his resilience and skill on the badminton court. With thrilling matches and unexpected outcomes, the tournament provided fans with a mix of happiness and drama, highlighting the competitive spirit of the sport.