It was a challenging day for European players in the Round of 16 at the CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open 2024, powered by YONEX. Most European athletes were eliminated, leaving just two pairs and one singles player to carry hopes into the quarterfinals.
Despite the tough matches, there are still promising clashes to anticipate in the quarterfinals.
The only all-European clash of the day featured Frenchman Alex Lanier against Ireland's Nhat Nguyen. The first game was tightly contested, ending 24-22. Lanier then took charge in the second game, cruising to a 21-9 win. Tomorrow, he faces Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen, whom he previously defeated at the Japan Open in August. Will history repeat itself?
In men’s doubles, Kim Astrup/ Anders Skaarup Rasmussen faced off against the experienced Indonesian pair, Mohammad Ahsan/ Hendra Setiawan. The match stretched to three games, but the Danes ultimately took the win, 21-13, 13-21, 21-9.
Also advancing were the English duo of Ben Lane/ Sean Vendy, who delivered a strong performance to take out the third seeds Aaron Chia/ Soh Wooi Yik from Malaysia. The pair showcased all their power, taking the match 21-13 21-8.