China won four of five titles at the Yonex Swiss Open 2017 in Basel yesterday, with the teenaged Chen Xiaoxin picking up her first Grand Prix Gold title.
Chen Xiaoxin got the better of compatriot and World Junior champion Chen Yufei in the Women’s Singles final.
The only non-Chinese to top the podium on finals day was Mixed Doubles pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai. Lin Dan (Men’s Singles), Chai Biao/Hong Wei (Men’s Doubles) and Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan (Women’s Doubles) were the other winners.
Chen Xiaoxin surged into the final without losing a game. The final was no different, as she held off Chen Yufei in a close first game and then eased through, 21-19 21-14.
Men’s Singles top seed Lin Dan avenged his loss to younger compatriot Shi Yuqi in the Yonex All England semi-finals. Lin was untroubled through the week; the only significant challenge coming from Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting in the semi-finals, which he won 21-17 21-17. Shi Yuqi, meanwhile, had to fend off some tough challenges, such as Denmark’s Anders Antonsen in the third round and Chinese Taipei’s Wang Tzu Wei in the semi-finals. The final was one-sided all the way, with Lin shutting out Shi 21-12 21-11.
Chai Biao and Hong Wei justified their top seeding by winning the Men’s Doubles over compatriots Zhang Nan/Liu Cheng in the final. Chai/Hong survived a close semi-final against Chinese Taipei’s Chen Hung Ling/Wang Chi-Lin, 17-21 21-15 21-18, and then held off Zhang/Liu in another three-game battle, 13-21 21-16 21-15.
Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan lost only one game during the week – in the quarter-finals against Indonesia’s Della Destiara Haris/Rosyita Eka Putri Sari. The top seeds had no trouble against Bulgaria’s Gabriela Stoeva/Stefania Stoeva in the final, 21-16 21-15. The Stoeva sisters had earlier beaten China’s Bao Yixin/Yu Xiaohan in a close semi-final, 22-20 21-19.
Thailand’s Puavaranukroh and Taerattanachai (featured image) outplayed Indonesia’s Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto in the Mixed Doubles final, 21-18 21-15. The Thais caused the upset of the event in the semi-finals, beating the in-form Chinese pair Zheng Siwei/Chen Qingchen 21-19 13-21 21-19. In the other semi-final, Jordan/Susanto got the better of another Chinese pair, Zhang Nan/Li Yinhui, 17-21 21-19 21-16.
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