Anders Antonsen has shown fans once again what he can do this week by reaching the Korea Open 2023 final.
This year has been up and down for the Dane. Just last month, experiencing the highs of reaching the Singapore Open final, followed by a first round exit in Indonesia and then failure to qualify from group B at the European Games in Poland.
Antonsen is back on a high this week and looks to be enjoying the conditions in Korea, showcasing great tactical variation in his play. His route to the final includes wins over Chou Tien Chen, Kenta Nishimoto and today, Shi Yu Qi.
A first for Antonsen
Prior to today, Antonsen had not defeated Shi in a completed match, as Shi pulled out early through injury at the 2019 Indonesia Open, so the task today was a tough one.
Antonsen was able to impose his game early on, however, in typical Shi fashion the Chinese player began to play himself into the match, particularly in the second game. Despite this, Antonsen was able to secure match point through an incredible net-chord winner!
Shi then saved them both and had two game points of his own. Through determination and a cool head, Antonsen did not panic and found a way to get over the line. His delight was clear to see.
In the final, Loh Kean Yew awaits after a rollercoaster of a match against Kodai Naraoka. The Singaporean was a game and 12-4 down in the second, yet somehow managed to find a path to victory.
We have two entertainers in the final, so strap in and enjoy!
Other semifinals
In the women’s singles, we also have a mouth-watering final with Tai Tzu Ying against home favourite An Se Young. Tai looked in complete control when sending Yamaguchi on an early flight to the Japan Open next week, and An used the crowd to grind out a three-game marathon against Chen Yu Fei.
The Indian Asian champions, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/ Chirag Shetty are in their fourth final this year after dispatching big-hitters Liang Wei Keng/ Wang Chang. They will face number one pair Fajar Alfian/ Muhammad Rian Ardianto after they overcame a tough challenge from the well-supported Korean pair of Kang Min Hyuk/ Seo Seung Jae in a three-game thriller.
The Korean fans will also be looking forward to the women’s doubles with a repeat of the 2022 World Championships final with Koreans Kim So Yeong/ Kong Hee Yong taking on the pair to beat Chen Qing Chen/ Jia Yi Fan of China.
In the mixed doubles, the new pair on the block, Jiang Zhen Bang/ Wei Ya Xin compete in an all-Chinese final against Feng Yan Zhe/ Huang Dong Ping.
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