The Sudirnam Cup 2023 took place from 14 to 21 May 2023. The 2023 Mixed Team Badminton World Championship took place this year in Suzhou, China. It is held every two years in odd-numbered years, unlike its exclusively men's counterpart, the Thomas & Uber Cup, which is held in even-numbered years.
The 16 national teams taking part in this 2023 edition were selected from the various continental mixed team championships. The Sudirnam Cup consists of 4 qualifying pools in which 4 teams from each pool compete in five possible matches in a precise order : Mixed Doubles/Women's Doubles/Men's Doubles/Women's Doubles/Men's Doubles. One point equals one match won.
The 8 teams emerging from the pools all go into a knockout pool where the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the Sudirnam Cup are played.
The French team finished on a positive note, putting on a great show !
Unfortunately, our French team did not reach the quarter-finals, losing to Japan 1-4 and Korea 1-4 in the group stage. Nevertheless, on Wednesday 17 May at 5pm local time, our French team put on a great show against our English friends.
In Mixed Doubles : The gold medal-winning pair of the 2019 edition of the Orléans Masters Badminton, GICQUEL & DELRUE beat the English ELLIS & SMITH, 2 sets to 0 tight but decisive 22-20/21-19.
Men's singles : The 2022 Orléans Masters Badminton men's singles champion won 2 sets to 1 against England's Cholan KAYAN 21-13/14-21/21-17.
In the Women's Singles, Qi WUEFEI won 21-11/21-11 against Freya REDFEARN from England.
In Men's Doubles, the French pair CORVEE / LABA faced off against the iconic English pair of the 2021 OMB: Ben LANE & Sean VENDY, who took the top step of the Men's Doubles podium for us! The strong French pair came out on top with a final score of 2 sets to 0 : 21-19/21-19.
Finally, in the Women's Doubles, our French players Margot LAMBERT & Anne TRAN (Anne TRAN, silver medallist at the 2019 OMB in Mixed Doubles with Ronan LABAR) defeated England's Chloe BIRCH & Lauren SMITH, 3 sets to 2: 21-13/11-21/21-18.
Quarter-finals
China - Indonesia : 3 points to 0 for the Chinese team
Team China, the 2023 host team and defending champions, showed their superiority by winning 3 matches to 0 against Team Indonesia.
Mixed Doubles : Zheng SI Wei & HUANG YA Qiong won 2 sets to 1 (13-21/23-21/21-11) against the Indonesians RIVALDY & GINTING
Men's Singles : SHI Yu Qi won his match 2 sets to 0 against Antony Sinisuka GINTING 22-20 / 21-12
Women's Singles : Chen Yu Fei won her match 2 sets to win against Gregoria Marska TUNJUNG 22-20 / 21-12
Japan - Thailand: it's a close call ! (3 matches to 2 against Thailand)
Mixed Doubles : The Japanese pair YAMASHITA/SHINOYA won their duel 3 sets to 1: 21-19/23-21/21-13.
Women's Singles : Akane YAMAGUCHI lost to Pornpawee CHOCHUWONG, currently world no. 12 and holder of the bronze medal for women's singles at the 2021 Orléans Masters Badminton. The Japanese player lost 21-19 / 17-21 / 11-21.
In Men's Singles : Same thing against the great Kunlavut VITIDSARN, bronze medallist at the 2021 edition of the Orléans Masters Badminton, a great year for Team Thailand who invaded the Men's Singles, Women's Singles and Women's Doubles tables. Japan's Kodai NARAOKA lost to Kunlavut VITIDSARN 2 sets to 0 (12-21/13-21).
Two Women's Doubles and Men's Doubles matches enable Japan to qualify for the semi-finals. Victory for the MATSUYMA/SHIDA pair, beating the two women's doubles winners of the Orléans Masters Badminton 2021: 2 sets to 1 for the Japanese (21-17/20-22/21-18).
Korea - Chinese Taipei: Almost a formality for Korea
Mixed Doubles : Victory for the mixed pair SEO Seng Jae & CHAE Yu Jung 2 sets to 0 against the Taiwanese Yang Po-Hsuan & Hu Ling Fang (who finished on the second step of the podium of the 2019 edition of the Orléans Masters Badminton alongside Hsu Ya Ching). First Korean victory 21-17/21-19.
Women's Singles : Second win for Korea, 2 sets to 0 (21-13/22-20) won by An Se Yung against Taiwan's TAI Tzu Ying.
Men's Doubles : A final qualifying match for the semi-finals, with the men's pair LEE Yong & YE Hong Wei winning by withdrawal after winning the first set and taking the lead in the second 21-19/11-3 (YE Hong Wei, who won a silver medal in mixed doubles alongside Lee Chia Hsin at the 2023 Orléans Masters Badminton presented by Victor !)
Malaysia - Denmark : The Malaysian team wins 3-1 against the Danish giants !
In Mixed Doubles : a duel of champions, the pair Chen Tang Jie / Toh Ee Wei facing the Danish duo Mathias CHRISTIANSEN / Alexandra BOJE, two winning pairs in mixed doubles at the Orléans Masters Badminton (2021 and 2023). Despite a good start from the Danish pair, it was the Malaysian mixed doubles champions of the 2023 edition of the Orléans Masters Badminton presented by Victor who won 15-21/21-14/7-21.
In the Men's Singles, it was a second victory for Malaysia following Viktor AXELSEN's withdrawal after 8 points...
In the Women's Singles, Mia BLICHFELDT came second in the first edition of the Orléans Masters Badminton on the BWF circuit in the super100 category, beating Goh Jin Wei from Malaysia. Mia BLICHFELDT won 3 sets to 1: 21-14/15-21/21-19.
Last decisive match in Men's Doubles won by Malaysia in 2 winning sets for Aron Chia & Soh Wooi Yik against the duo Kim Astrup & Anders Skaarup Rasmussen : 21-17/21-16.
Semi-finals
China - Japan : A duel that lasted over 6 hours !
Mixed Doubles : The Chinese pair Feng Yan Zhe / Huang Dong Ping lost 1 set to 2 to the Japanese Kyohei Yamashita & Naru Shinoya: 24-26/21-18/22-24.
Men's singles : China's Shi Yu Qi bounced back from his team's sluggish start with a 2-1 win over Japan's Kodai Naraoka: 13-21/21-15/21-17.
In Women's Singles : Japan's Akane Yamaguchi showed her superiority in winning 2 sets against China's Chen Yu Fei: 21-14/21-15.
Men's Doubles : China equalised with a tight victory for the Chinese pair Liu Tu Chen & Ou Xuan Yi 2 sets to 1 over Japan's Takuro Hoki & Yugo Kabayashi: 17-21/21-19/22-20.
The Women's Doubles was decisive in the final, with the Chinese pair Chen Qing & Chen Jia Yi Fan winning 2 sets: 21-11/21-6.
Malaysia - Korea : Korea reach the final with 3 games to 1
Mixed Doubles : The big winners of the 2023 edition of the Orléans Masters Badminton lost 1 set to 2 to the Korean pair Seo Seung Jae / Che Yu Jung: 21-11/13-21/7-21
In the Men's Singles : Malaysian Lee Zii Ji equalised by winning his match in 35 minutes 2 sets to 0 against Korean Jeon Hyeok Jin : 21-11/21-9
Women's Singles : Korea's An Se Young wins her duel 2 sets to 0 against her opponent Karupthevan Letshanaa (21-10/21-13) ! *
Men's Doubles : Last decisive match for Korea with a victory for the duo Kim Won Ho & Na Sung Seng, winning 2 sets : 21-12/21-11.
Final
China - Korea : a Final between neighbours of the Yellow Sea
A Surdinam Cup victory in 3 winning matches for the Chinese team !
In Mixed Doubles : The Chinese pair zheng Si Wei / Huang Ya Qiong won 2 sets to 1 in 1 hour and 2 minutes, with an expeditious last set against the Korean pair Seo Seung Jae / Chae Yu Jung : 18-21/22-20/21-08.
In the Men's Singles : Chinese player Shi Yu Qi won in 2 sets against Korean Lee Yun Gyu : 21-13/21-17.
Finally, in the Ladies' Singles, the last match of this final of the Total Energies BWF Sudirnam Cup 2023, Chen Yu Fei of China won in 2 sets 21-16/22-20.
On the top step of the podium we find the Chinese national team, holders of the title since 2019, and winners of their 13th trophy ! On the second step is the Korean national team, who this year were unable to recover the trophy to add a 5th gold medal to their tally... Finally in 3rd place were the Japanese and Malaysian national teams.
We'll be back very soon to follow the players who came to the Orléans Masters Badminton during the Super500 PERODUA Malaysia Masters 2023 presented by DAIHATSU, which will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 23 to 28 May !
