Zheng/Huang, Axelsen continue winning ways in Indonesia
Two in a row.
Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, as well as Viktor Axelsen, made a clean sweep of the back-to-back tournaments held in Indonesia. The Chinese mixed doubles team and the men’s singles world number one won the 2022 Indonesia Open held at the Istana Olahraga Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta from June 14-19.
Huang and Zheng stopped Watanabe Yūta and Higashino Arisa of Japan, 21-14, 21-16, to cop their fourth BWF World Tour title this season. This is also their second Indonesia Open first-place trophy.
Defending mixed doubles champions Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand were upset in the first round by Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai of Malaysia, 18-21, 21-7, 20-22.
Meanwhile, Axelsen successfully defended his crown, outpointing unseeded Zhao Junpeng, 21-9, 21-10. Just like Zheng and Huang, the Dane has garnered four championships this season.
Another pair of shuttlers who were able to reign over the competition for the second straight year are Matsuyama Nami and Shida Chiharu. They defeated Fukushima Yuki and Hirota Sayaka, 18-21, 21-14, 21-17, in an all-Japan women’s doubles final.
Over in women’s singles, Tai Tzu-ying grabbed her third Indonesia Open diadem. She outlasted Wang Zhiyi, 21-23, 21-6, 21-15. Tai previously topped the Super 1000 event in the last two even years it was held, 2018 and 2016.
Finally, Liu Yuchen took home his second championship at the Indonesia Open, this time with a different partner in Ou Xuanyi. They beat Choi Sol-gyu and Kim Won-ho of South Korea, 21-17, 23-21.
Interestingly, this is the first instance Indonesia did not have a representative reach the tourney’s semifinal round.
The next Grade 2 tournament would be the Malaysia Open, which commences on June 27.
Author Details
JP is an all-around sportswriter who covered the Bingo Bonanza Philippine Gold Grand Prix 2009. Aside from BWF badminton he follows football, basketball, and pro wrestling.
