The Chinese mainland's Weng Hongyang made a remarkable comeback to defeat Denmark's Anders Antonsen 2-1 at the ongoing BWF China Open in Changzho, securing his place in the men's singles semifinals on Friday.
Antonsen entered the match with an unbeaten run in their previous four encounters, having won the opening game 21-19. However, Weng didn't back down. The Chinese mainland's player took control in the second game, leading 4-1 with an impressive drop shot before leveling the match with a powerful smash to win that game 21-19.
The intense third game saw both players neck and neck, but it was Weng who ultimately sealed the deal with a 23-21 victory, marking his first triumph over the Dane. Weng will now face Indonesia's Jonatan Christie in the semifinals.
Earlier on Friday, Christie advanced past the Chinese mainland's Lei Lanxi, who had stunned Olympic champion Victor Axelsen in the first round. Showing better form in crucial moments, the world number eight Christie took the opener 21-18 and maintained momentum to secure the second game 21-12 after a strong lead of 13-8 midway through.
On the women's side, the Chinese mainland's third-seeded Wang Zhiyi staged a comeback to defeat her compatriot Gao Fangjie 13-21, 21-11, 21-14. Wang will now meet Japan's Ohori Aya in the semifinals.
Reference(s):
China's Weng beats Danish Antonsen to reach BWF China Open semis
cgtn.com
