In the first high-level event of the 2025 world badminton season, the Malaysia Open, Wang Hongyang, known as "Little Lin Dan," performed poorly and was eliminated in the first round, encountering a black start to the new season. This week, Wang Hongyang once again followed the national team on an expedition, embarking on the journey of the Super 750 event, the India Badminton Open. On the third day of the main draw, Wang Hongyang faced Malaysian player Liang Junhao in the men's singles round of 1/8. In this match, the two players engaged in a fierce offensive battle, but Wang Hongyang's rhythm and quality of individual shots surpassed his opponent, ultimately winning both sets with a score of 2-0!
[Match Highlights]
Looking at the world rankings, the gap between the two players is not significant. Wang Hongyang is currently ranked 21st, while Liang Junhao is only 7 places lower. Moreover, their past head-to-head records are evenly matched, having met twice in world competitions, each winning one match. The most recent encounter was in last season's Asian Badminton Team Championship final, where Wang Hongyang defeated Liang Junhao in straight sets.
Liang Junhao was in excellent form at this tournament, defeating the fifth seed, Li Shifeng, in a tough three-set battle in the first round. Meanwhile, Wang Hongyang's first-round opponent, Srikanth, withdrew, allowing him to advance to the round of 16 without a fight, giving him an advantage in terms of physical energy. However, his adaptation to the court and wind conditions would not be as good as Liang Junhao, adding more intrigue to this matchup.
[Match Review]
Defeating Li Shifeng in the previous match undoubtedly gave Liang Junhao a huge boost of confidence. He continued his proactive attacking style in this match, using high-quality net control and then retreating to directly attack, quickly establishing a 4-1 lead. However, as Wang Hongyang gradually found his form, he began to suppress Liang Junhao in the offensive battle, not only able to withstand his opponent's attacks but also using drop shots to create counterattack opportunities. Soon, Wang Hongyang leveled the score difference and ended the first half of the game with a score of 11-10.
After the restart, Wang Hongyang continued his fiery offensive momentum, with precise placement whether it was smashing the sidelines or sliding shots at the net. The increasingly brave Wang Hongyang quickly expanded his lead to 18-13. Although Liang Junhao did not give up, "Little Lin Dan" still secured the opening victory with a score of 21-18.
In the second set, Wang Hongyang continued to wave the flag of offense, continuously using consecutive smashes to attack Liang Junhao's defense. After the start, he smoothly built a 6-2 lead. Liang Junhao, who could no longer afford to lose, kept trying to catch up, but Wang Hongyang firmly controlled the situation, constantly expanding his lead and entering the technical break with a score of 11-4.
Returning to the court, Wang Hongyang remained undeterred, not wanting to give his opponent the chance to drag the match into a decisive third set. He well controlled his own mistakes and maintained his lead until the end, securing victory with a score of 21-12.
After sweeping Liang Junhao and avenging his teammate Li Shifeng, Wang Hongyang proudly advanced to the quarterfinals of the men's singles at the India Open. In the next round, his opponent will be the winner between French ace Lannier and home player Kiran. We look forward to Wang Hongyang delivering a strong performance and striving to take on the responsibility of contending for the men's singles championship.