Taipei: The two-time Olympic men’s doubles gold medalists, ranked 9th in the world, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin, faced an unexpected defeat in the round of 16 at the BWF World Tour Super 300 Taipei Open on Thursday. They lost to compatriots Liu Kuang Heng/Yang Po Han with scores of 21-15, 15-21, and 20-22, falling short of ending Lee’s “last dance” with a victory.
Highlights of Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin vs. Liu Kuang Heng/Yang Po Han in the second round of the 2024 Taipei Open:
After securing the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin made history as the first men’s doubles pair to defend their Olympic title successfully. With Lee Yang transitioning to a teaching role at National Taiwan Sport University and Wang Chi-Lin pairing with new partner Chiu Hsiang-Chieh, their reunion in Taipei was meant to be their final performance in front of their home crowd.
Lee Yang will retire from badminton after the Taipei Open, and this tournament was a special opportunity for him to pair with his long-time partner Wang Chi-Lin. However, today they faced a tough battle against the world’s 88th-ranked pair – Liu Kuang Heng/Yang Po Han.
Wang Chi-Lin commented, “It was quite a shock; they played well in flat exchanges, and in the second game, we made several mistakes that put us under pressure.”
Despite leading 11-7 at the technical timeout of the first set, they allowed Liu/Yang a 5-point comeback to level at 12-12. However, Lee/Wang managed to pull away with a 5-0 run, taking the first game 21-15.
However, Liu/Yang came prepared and made the two-time Olympic champions work hard, equalizing the match 21-15 in the second game. The third game was a back-and-forth battle, with Liu/Yang leading 11-8 at the technical timeout. Lee/Wang fought back to tie at 12-12, and both sides remained locked until 17-17. Lee/Wang managed to grab two consecutive points to reach 20-18, earning two match points, but Liu/Yang saved both and eventually secured a comeback victory with a 22-20 win.
Yang Po-Han/Liu Kuan-Hung will face another Taiwanese pair Chang Ko-Chi/Chen Xin-Yuan for a spot in the semi-finals.
Reflecting on his “last dance,” Lee Yang said, “I’ve been mentally preparing for this every day. I’ve never won the Taipei Open, nor did I have a specific goal. I’m grateful to Chi-Lin for partnering with me.”
Lee Yang added, “I am very thankful to everyone who came out to support, friends and family. Whether good or bad, everything that happened on the court has taught me a lot, making me a better person. I am grateful that badminton has been everything to me, and I hope to pass on what I’ve learned to the next generation.”
In the men’s singles, Malaysian player Justin Hoh will have the opportunity to test his true potential when he faces world No. 9 Chou Tien-Chen in the quarter-finals of the Taiwan Open on Friday.
Ranked 68th in the world, Justin Hoh advanced to the top eight after defeating Indonesia’s Yohanes Marcellyno 12-21, 21-9, 21-14 in the second round at the Taipei Arena on Thursday.
