The HSBC BWF World Tour Finals took place in Hangzhou, China, from December 11 to 15, 2024.
Let’s go back today to this last tournament of 2024, where we find some players who have been through the Orléans Masters Badminton!
This tournament is organized for the best male and female players in the BWF world ranking. They qualify based on their rank and by invitation. This year, the Olympic champions were directly qualified. The tournament only accepts the participation of 8 athletes/pairs per draw, with a limit of two representatives per national federation (per draw).
They are then divided into two groups of 4 and all play each other once. The victories and points won are counted and determine the group exits who then participate in the semi-finals.
You will therefore find in this article the results of the semi-finals and finals of the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2024.
Men's singles
Semi-finals
The first semi-final pits world number 1 SHI Yu Qi against Taiwanese CHOU Tien Chen, world number 9. The Chinese player wins in two sets with twin scores (21-14, 21-14), in just under an hour and earns himself a place in the final.
The second semi-final was more contested between the Dane Anders ANTONSEN, world number 2, and the Indonesian Jonatan CHRISTIE in fourth place in the ranking. The match of more than an hour was played in 3 sets: the first was taken by the Dane with a surprising and disconcerting score (21-6), then the Indonesian recovered the second (21-15), before the third was won by Anders ANTONSEN (21-13), who thus found himself in the final.
Final
The final is therefore played between the two best players in the international ranking: SHI Yu Qi and Anders ANTONSEN. The match confirms this year's ranking since the Chinese wins over the Dane in fifty-two minutes and 2 sets: 21-18, 21-14.
Women's singles
Semi-finals
The first semi-final pitted the players ranked 8th and 9th against each other: China's HAN Yue and Japan's Aya OHORI. The match, which lasted nearly forty-five minutes, ended with the Chinese player winning in 2 sets: 21-17, 21-13.
The second semi-final was played between world number 1 AN Se Young and world number 2 WANG Zhi Yi. The Chinese player reached the final in 2 sets (21-17, 21-14), eliminating the Korean, the Paris 2024 Olympic champion.
Final
The final pits two Chinese compatriots against each other. The first two sets are disputed and after an hour and a quarter of play it is finally WANG Zhi Yi who wins over HAN Yue: 19-21, 21-19, 21-11.
Men's doubles
Semi-finals
GOH Sze Fei and Nur IZZUDDIN, the Malaysians ranked 7th in the world, played their semi-final against the Indonesian pair ranked three places above them (4th in the world). If the Indonesians took the upper hand against the Malaysians in the first set (21.17), they lost the second (16-21). The tough and committed fight in the third set made the suspense last as the players exceeded 21 points, until after an hour and twenty minutes of the match the Malaysians won 27-25.
The Danes Kim ASTRUP and Anders Skaarup RASMUSSEN, who came to play in Orléans in 2014, and ranked number 3, face the Indonesians Sabar Karyaman GUTAMA and Moh Reza Pahlevi ISFAHANI, who also played in Orléans in 2017, 2018 and 2021, ranked eleventh. If the first set is defended by the Indonesians, they do not win it (21-23) and the second set is more complicated (13-21). The Danes win their place for the final in less than forty-five minutes of play.
Final
Despite a ranking gap that is not always significant, the Indonesians having eliminated a pair higher in the ranking in the semi-final, the Danes impose their rhythm. GOH Sze Fei and Nur IZZUDDIN lose the first set (17-21), but recover the second on the same score (21-17). Everything is played out in the third set where Kim ASTRUP and Anders Skaarup RASMUSSEN dominate (21-11), taking the title in just over an hour of play.
Women's doubles
Semi-finals
The women's doubles semi-finals see the four best pairs in the world rankings compete against each other.
Koreans and world number 2 BAEK Ha Na and LEE So Hee play their match against the Chinese, winners of the Daihatsu Japan Open, the CLASH ROYALE Arctic Open, the Kumamoto Masters and the Li-Ning China Masters in recent months, losing to their opponents while trying to recover the second set to restart the match (14-21, 20-22). The Koreans thus qualify for the final.
The second Chinese pair qualified for the draw, number 3 in the world rankings, composed of CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan, are opposed to the pair ranked fourth in the world, the Japanese Nami MATSUYAMA and Chiharu SHIDA. The match of more than an hour is disputed, especially in the first set, won by the Japanese (23-21). The second is more tense (21-13) and the Japanese qualify for the final.
Final
After an hour and ten minutes of play, the Koreans BAEK Ha Na and LEE So Hee won the title by winning in 2 sets against the Japanese (21-19, 21-14).
Mixed doubles
Semi-finals
The mixed doubles semi-finals are shorter matches than the women's doubles draw matches.
The first semi-final was played by the two Malaysian pairs, number 8, CHEN Tang Jie and TOH Ee Wei (both of whom played in Orléans when they were not yet their mixed doubles pair), and 10, GOH Soon Huat (who came to play singles in Orléans in 2012) and LAI Shevon Jemie in the world rankings. The match, which lasted just over forty minutes, was won in 2 sets by CHEN/TOH: 21-15, 21-12.
The second semi-final was also played between two Chinese compatriot pairs. It pitted the pairs JIANG Zhen Bang and WEI Ya Xin (world number 2) against ZHENG Si Wei and HUANG Ya Qiong (world number 3). In less than forty minutes, the world number 3 pair eliminated the world number 2: 21-11, 21-18.
Final
The match was an hour and fifteen minutes long and played in 3 sets, unlike the semi-finals. Finally, the Malaysians CHEN/TOH, lower in the ranking, lost to the Chinese ZHENG/HUANG: 18-21, 21-14, 17-21.
We'll be back next year to relive together and follow the players who came to the Orléans Masters Badminton presented by VICTOR during the PETRONAS Malaysia Open 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
