In an exhilarating start to the inaugural King Cup Badminton Open in Shenzhen, China, 18-year-old Hu Zhean of the Chinese mainland stunned former world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in straight games on Friday.
Supported by badminton legend Lin Dan, the event showcased only men's singles matches in its first edition. The competition featured eight top-tier players, including former world champions Loh and Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn, alongside Denmark's World No. 2 Anders Antonsen.
Hu delivered a decisive performance, winning both games 21-15, 21-15, which sets him up for a semifinal clash against India's Lakshya Sen.
\"I faced a very strong opponent at the start of this event, and I think we both performed well, but I was more decisive on some key points. This is my first time to compete against top players, so it was very difficult to win the match, and I am very excited,\" said Hu.
The tournament saw more thrilling action as France's Alex Lanier overcame China's Wang Zijun to advance to the semifinals. Wang, also 18, took the first game 21-15, but the 19-year-old Lanier fought back to win the next two frames, securing a 2-1 come-from-behind victory and setting up a semifinal match against Antonsen.
Reference(s):
China's Hu stuns former world champion Loh at King Cup Badminton Open
cgtn.com
