Yeosu, South Korea, November 5, 2026: Top seed Chou Tien Chen was eliminated from the Korea Open after compatriot Wang Yu-Kai rallied to win their men’s singles first-round match 21-18, 16-21, 21-12 on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old Wang, ranked No. 66, earned his first main-draw victory at a BWF World Tour Super 500 event. He will face another Chinese Taipei player, Wang Tzu Wei, in the Round of 16.
Chou, 36, entered the tournament as the world No. 4 and had won both of his previous meetings with Wang. The defeat ended his campaign at the first stop of his return to the Asian swing after a Round of 16 loss to Chi Yu Jen at the French Open.
Wang Yu-Kai Seals Upset in the Deciding Game
Chou opened with a 6-2 lead, but Wang stayed in touch and went into the mid-game interval trailing 11-10. The players were level at 17-17 before Wang took four of the next five points to claim the opening game.
Chou responded in the second game. Wang briefly moved ahead after trailing 7-10, but Chou regained control with a four-point run and pulled away from 14-14 to win 21-16.
Wang started the deciding game strongly, opening a 5-1 advantage. Chou narrowed the gap to 7-9, but Wang then won eight consecutive points to close out the match and secure his first win over Chou.
Wang Tzu Wei and Wang Po-Wei Also Advance
Wang Tzu Wei reached the Round of 16 with a 21-15, 21-19 win over Belgium’s Julien Carraggi. His next match will be an all-Chinese Taipei encounter with Wang Yu-Kai.
Wang Po-Wei also advanced, defeating Indonesia’s Richie Duta Richardo 21-10, 15-21, 21-12. Richardo took the second game, but Wang Po-Wei won the decider to join his compatriots in the next round.
Other Korea Open First-Round Results
Canada’s Victor Lai defeated compatriot Brian Yang 21-16, 22-20. Japan’s Yudai Okimoto beat China’s Dong Tian Yao 21-10, 20-22, 21-16, while South Korea’s Kim Hae Deun recovered from losing the opening game to defeat Indonesia’s Muhamad Yusuf 17-21, 21-12, 21-14.
In mixed doubles, Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Lai Pei Jing defeated Thailand’s Tonkid Saeheng and Tonrug Saeheng 21-10, 21-14. They will meet South Korea’s Jin Sung Ik and Seung Hee Lee, who beat Chinese Taipei’s Zewei Xie and Yuran Zhang 21-9, 21-9.
Complete Tournament Results
Men’s Singles
- Wang Yu-Kai (Chinese Taipei) defeated Chou Tien Chen (Chinese Taipei), 21-18, 16-21, 21-12.
- Wang Tzu Wei (Chinese Taipei) defeated Julien Carraggi (Belgium), 21-15, 21-19.
- Yushi Tanaka (Japan) defeated Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah (Indonesia), 21-13, 21-17.
- Kim Hae Deun (South Korea) defeated Muhamad Yusuf (Indonesia), 17-21, 21-12, 21-14.
- Yoo Tae Bin (South Korea) defeated H. S. Prannoy (India), 23-21, 21-15.
- Yudai Okimoto (Japan) defeated Dong Tian Yao (China), 21-10, 20-22, 21-16.
- Zhu Xuan Chen (China) defeated Riki Takei (Japan), 21-15, 21-16.
- Victor Lai (Canada) defeated Brian Yang (Canada), 21-16, 22-20.
- Wang Po-Wei (Chinese Taipei) defeated Richie Duta Richardo (Indonesia), 21-10, 15-21, 21-12.
Mixed Doubles
- Haruki Kawabe / Kokona Ishikawa (Japan) defeated Bo-Yuan Chen / Yan Fei Chen (Chinese Taipei), 14-21, 21-12, 21-13.
- Hoo Pang Ron / Lai Pei Jing (Malaysia) defeated Tonkid Saeheng / Tonrug Saeheng (Thailand), 21-10, 21-14.
- Jin Sung Ik / Seung Hee Lee (South Korea) defeated Zewei Xie / Yuran Zhang (Chinese Taipei), 21-9, 21-9.
