On January 19th, Beijing time, in the mixed doubles final of the 2025 India Badminton Open, the Chinese pair of Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei faced off against the French duo of Gicquel and Delrue. In the first game, Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei completed a single-game comeback despite being consistently behind. In the second game, they won another victory by scoring three consecutive points at the decisive moment. Ultimately, as the only Chinese pair to reach the final in this event, Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei withstood the pressure and won both games 2-0, sealing their first championship of the season and also securing the only title for China in this Indian tournament!
Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei are ranked No. 2 in the world and were listed as the No. 2 seeds for the mixed doubles in this competition. Due to the withdrawal of the world's No. 1 pair, Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping, from this Indian event, Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei were effectively the top seeds. Throughout their journey to the finals, they swept through the first two rounds in straight sets. However, starting from the third round, they encountered tough battles in three consecutive matches, first defeating their teammates Xinwa Guo and Fanghui Chen 2-1, then turning around a 2-1 deficit in the semifinals against Xunfa Wu and Jie Min Lai. It is worth noting that in this Indian Open, the overall performance of the Chinese team was not good, with no players reaching the finals in men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles. Only Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei made it to the mixed doubles final, thus bearing significant pressure as the sole hope for China to win a championship.
In this event, the French pair of Gicquel and Delrue were in excellent form, winning four consecutive matches in straight sets and advancing to the finals after defeating seeded pairs. In the previous semifinal round, Gicquel and Delrue sealed a 2-0 victory over the No. 3 mixed doubles seeds, Tangjie Chen and Yiyu Du! They are typical of European playing styles, excelling in aggressive high shots. When they get into a frenzy, they can often perform beyond their usual level. However, Gicquel and Delrue's weakness lies in their inconsistency; when things don't go smoothly, they can easily make continuous mistakes and lose points. Currently ranked No. 15 in the world, they have reached a historical high of No. 5. It should be noted that this final was also the first encounter between Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei and Gicquel and Delrue in the history of the BWF World Tour.
At the start of the match, Gicquel and Delrue demonstrated their attacking prowess, initially overwhelming Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei with their aggressive play! However, Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei found a way to break the deadlock, continuously chasing points until they overtook their opponents 16-15. Their relentless flat shots and body shots proved effective, allowing them to seize key points at the end of the game and win the first set 21-18.
In the second set, Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei led 11-8 going into the interval. Upon resuming, Gicquel and Delrue scored a point with a net kill, but Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei responded immediately with points of their own. Zhenbang Jiang's backcourt jump smash combined with Yaxin Wei's net coverage helped the Chinese pair pull ahead 16-11. Despite Gicquel and Delrue's persistent pressure, which brought them within one point at 17-18, Zhenbang Jiang and Yaxin Wei withstood the pressure and clinched the match with three consecutive points, winning 21-17. The total score was 2-0, securing their championship victory!