Upset at Hong Kong Open as New Men's Doubles Pair Stun Defending Champions
Conor Hudson
Sat Sep 14 2024
The badminton world was left in shock as the newly formed Chinese men's doubles pair of Huang Di and Zhou Hao Dong caused a major upset by defeating the reigning champions Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen at the Hong Kong Open. Their unexpected victory has left fans wondering whether to celebrate or shed a tear for the defeated champions.
Elevated from the qualifiers, Huang Di and Zhou Hao Dong made a grand entrance by exiting the Korea Open in the first round just two weeks ago. However, they turned the tables at the Hong Kong Open by stunning the top-seeded men's doubles pair with a 21-15, 25-23 victory in a high-paced match. In a closely contested second game where both pairs were neck and neck at 18-18, Huang/Zhou maintained their composure to steer the match in their favor. Zhou, who had previously partnered with He Ji Ting before switching to play alongside Tan Qiang last year, emphasized that their key strength lies in their speed, which proved to be the difference-maker against the world number two players.
"Our speed has been our advantage," the 26-year-old from Ningbo shared. "Fast pace is our forte, and today, we were able to showcase it at its best. Kim and Anders were the frontrunners, so they had more pressure to deliver results. Our attitude was simply to 'go for it' and strive to overcome the best players. We are delighted with this result but now focus on preparing well for the upcoming matches."
In the subsequent round, Huang/Zhou will face Lin Bing Wei/Su Ching Heng from Chinese Taipei. Meanwhile, the Danish men's doubles pairs faced a setback immediately after, with Daniel Lundgaard/Mads Vestergaard falling to Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Daniel Marthin with scores of 21-14 and 21-17. The Danish campaign in the men's doubles event concluded as the sixth-seeded Rasmus Kjaer/Frederik Sogaard suffered a defeat against Nur Mohd Azryn/Tan Wee Kiong in a nail-biting match with a scoreline of 15-21, 23-21, 19-21.
The unexpected triumph of Huang Di and Zhou Hao Dong has added an exciting twist to the men's doubles competition at the Hong Kong Open, setting the stage for thrilling matchups in the upcoming rounds. As underdogs rise and defending champions falter, the badminton world awaits with bated breath to witness the unfolding drama on the courts.