Day two of the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2025 saw the last remaining European players compete, but it was another tough day on the courts.
Tough Start for Europe
The day began with a setback as Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour was defeated by Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon. Later, Denmark’s Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch faced a difficult draw against China’s newly paired Wei Ya Xin and Feng Yan Zhe, who are currently ranked number 1 and 2 in the Mixed Doubles world rankings. Despite a strong effort in the first game, narrowly losing 20-22, the Danes couldn’t maintain the momentum and lost 15-21 in the second.
Shift in Momentum
However, the tide soon turned in favor of Europe. Fifth seeds Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund, ranked seventh in the world, broke their streak of early exits. After failing to reach a quarterfinal since their win at the Orléans Masters in March, they defeated the 13th-ranked Thai duo, Oupthong and Sudjaipraparat, in two tight games, 22-20 and 21-18.
The Danish pair will next face fellow Europeans Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson, who made an impressive start by comfortably defeating Indonesia’s Rivaldy and Mentari in just 37 minutes.
A Tough Ending for Europe’s Singles Hopefuls
In the singles draw, hopes took a hit as Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova was defeated by Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi. Meanwhile, Nhat Nguyen came close in his first game against Indonesia’s Jonathan Christie but eventually lost 21-23, 16-21.
Heartbreak in Men’s Doubles
It was a heartbreaking loss for Denmark’s Kjær and Søgaard, who pushed third seeds Chia and Soh to the limit. They lost by the narrowest of margins, 21-19, 24-22. Meanwhile, European Championships silver medallists Adam and Rossi were defeated by Malaysia’s Arif and Yap, and Macpherson and Torrance lost their match against China’s Jia and Zhang.
Remaining European Contenders
Despite the challenges in the opening rounds, a few European players are still in the competition. Fans are eager to see how they will fare in the upcoming rounds.
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