On January 17th, in the men's doubles quarterfinals of the India Open, the Chinese pair Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang faced the South Korean pair Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae.
Last week at the Malaysia Open, Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang lost 0-2 to Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae in the second round. Moreover, in the men's doubles final of the Malaysia Open, Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae defeated the Chinese pair Chen Boyang/Liu Yi 2-1, taking away the first major championship of 2025.
Kim Won-ho is the mixed doubles runner-up at the Paris Olympics, and Seo Seung-jae is the men's doubles world champion. After the Paris Olympics, the newly formed Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae have become a formidable obstacle for the Chinese men's doubles team, as they must overcome this challenge to reach the championship trophy.
In the first set, Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang played with determination and easily won 21-12.
In the second set, Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae maintained a slight lead throughout. When the score was 18-16, Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang rallied their spirits, scoring three points in a row to take the lead 19-18. At this point, the audience became excited, feeling that Liang and Wang were on track for a successful revenge with a 2-0 victory.
However, Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae scored two points in a row to reach match point at 20-19. Despite Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang saving one match point, they were unable to stop Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae from winning the set 22-20.
In the third set, determined for revenge, Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang led all the way with scores of 7-2, 8-4, 13-9, and 18-14. The audience felt reassured, thinking that winning this match should not be a problem.
Sure enough, Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang took the lead with a match point at 20-18, just one step away from victory.
However, Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae scored two points in a row to tie the game at 20. Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang did not falter at the crucial moment, as they took the third match point at 21-20, seeing the light of victory again.
Yet, Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae scored three points in a row to win the match 23-21.
Thus, Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang lost 1-2 and failed to reach the top 4, meaning that the Chinese men's doubles team has been eliminated from this India Open.
After watching this match, it feels too depressing that Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang lost despite leading an entire set in the decisive game and failing to convert three match points. Their opponents took the final victory on their first lead.
Even more depressing than losing this match is that Kim Won-ho/Seo Seung-jae were the champions of last week's Malaysia Open and have now advanced to the top 4 of the India Open. This defeat for Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang may mean that the Chinese men's doubles team will live under their shadow for a long time.