After a tough opening day yesterday (Tuesday) at this year's China Masters, many European players found their stride today, advancing to the second round. Out of 15 matches involving European players, 11 ended in victory, including several remarkable and impressive wins. The results of all European matches can be found at the end of this article.
After 10 failed attempts, Mia Blichfeldt finally defeated the third-seeded Akane Yamaguchi today, winning 14-21, 21-17, 21-17. It was a highly fluctuating and intriguing match, as exemplified by the third set. Blichfeldt initially led 5-0 and 10-5 before Yamaguchi reeled off 11 consecutive points to take a 16-10 lead, putting herself in a strong position to win the match. However, Blichfeldt responded with nine unanswered points, ultimately celebrating her victory at 21-17. In the next round, Blichfeldt will face Japan's Tomoka Miyazaki.
Over the past year, Alex Lanier and Chou Tien Chen have delivered three incredibly entertaining and close encounters, and today was no exception. After 1 hour and 22 minutes, Lanier emerged victorious, winning 21-17, 18-21, 21-13. This win provides redemption for Lanier following last week's first-round exit in Japan. In the next round, Lanier will meet Ng Ka Long Angus from Hong Kong, a player Lanier defeated in the first round of the Denmark Open a month ago.
Viktor Axelsen needed three sets to secure his spot in the second round, defeating Koki Watanabe 21-17, 16-21, 21-12. Axelsen will next face China's Weng Hong Yang in the second round.
In another marathon match, Rasmus Gemke faced Japan's Kenta Nishimoto. The match lasted 1 hour and 42 minutes, with both players holding three match points in the third set. Gemke eventually emerged victorious with a 21-15, 12-21, 26-24 win. He will now need to recover in time for tomorrow's match against India's Lakshya Sen, who upset the seventh-seeded Lee Zii Jia in his opening round, winning 21-14, 13-21, 21-13.
In addition to the above matches, the following Europeans also secured spots in the second round:
Anders Skaarup/Kim Astrup defeated Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi 22-24, 21-18, 21-15
Christo Popov/Toma Junior Popov defeated Liu Kuang Heng/Yang Po Han 21-19, 17-21, 21-18
Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue defeated Zhou Zhi Hong/Bao Li Jing 13-21, 21-19, 21-17
Anders Antonsen defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu 21-17, 21-12
Rasmus Kjær/Frederik Søgaard defeated Lin Bing-Wei/Su Ching Heng 21-12, 21-19
Daniel Lundgaard/Mads Vestergaard defeated Man Wei Chong/Kai Wun Tee 19-21, 21-19, 21-17
Jesper Toft/Amalie Magelund defeated Wu Hsuan-Yi/Yang Chu Yun 21-17, 21-15