China Secures Women’s Doubles Title at Singapore Open
China has guaranteed the women’s doubles championship at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open after both of its pairs won their semi-final matches on May 30, setting up an all-Chinese final at the BWF World Tour Super 750 event. Top seeds Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning will face compatriots Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian for the title on May 31 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Semi-Final Dominance
World No. 1 pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning delivered a commanding performance against South Korea’s experienced duo Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee, winning 21-15, 21-10 in straight games. According to Xinhua News Agency, this marked their fourth consecutive victory over the Korean pair, underscoring their dominance at the top of the women’s doubles rankings.
Liu Shengshu, 22, and Tan Ning have been a formidable force since forming their partnership. The pair won silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics and followed it with gold at the 2025 World Championships and the 2025 Asian Championships. They have held the world No. 1 ranking since October 2024 and boast 18 BWF World Tour titles between them.
In the other semi-final, Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian — seeded fourth — defeated Japan’s Igarashi Arisa and Shida Chiharu 21-13, 21-14 in a composed display. Jia, a veteran of the sport who won Olympic gold at Paris 2024 with former partner Chen Qingchen, has formed a promising new partnership with Zhang Shuxian. The pair reached the final of the 2026 Asian Championships earlier this year and have been steadily building chemistry throughout the season.
People’s Daily, citing Xinhua, reported that the semi-final results ensured China would “secure the women’s doubles gold medal in advance.”
Broader Tournament Picture
While China’s women’s doubles dominance continues, the team struggled in other disciplines — a pattern that has raised concerns ahead of the 2028 Olympic cycle. Top seed Shi Yuqi and Weng Hongyang were both eliminated in the men’s singles round of 16, leaving China without a representative in the men’s singles final for another major tournament.
In women’s singles, Chen Yufei — the 2025 Singapore Open champion — lost a grueling 83-minute battle to world No. 1 An Se-young of South Korea, falling 22-20, 12-21, 15-21. Wang Zhiyi, the world No. 2, also exited in the semi-finals, losing to Japan’s veteran Akane Yamaguchi in three games. The women’s singles final will feature the 33rd career meeting between An Se-young and Yamaguchi.
Men’s doubles saw China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang suffer a heavy semi-final defeat to Indonesia’s Alfian and Fikri, losing 21-23, 4-21 — a second-game scoreline that highlighted the gap between the Chinese pair and the world’s best. The mixed doubles pair of Gao Jiaxuan and Wei Yaxin, a new partnership formed in May, lost to Denmark’s Christiansen and Bøje in the semi-finals, though their run to the last four showed promise for a pairing still in its early stages.
A Tournament in Transition
The KFF Singapore Badminton Open, with a prize purse of US$1 million, is in its final year as a BWF Super 750 event. As The Straits Times reported earlier this year, the tournament will be reclassified as a Super 500 event from 2027 as part of BWF’s World Tour restructuring. The 2026 edition features all top 15 singles players and top 10 doubles pairs in the world rankings.
Analysis: A Mixed Picture for Chinese Badminton
China’s guaranteed gold in women’s doubles reinforces its historic strength in a discipline where the country has long been a powerhouse. The depth is remarkable — two world-class pairs capable of beating any opposition, with the world No. 1 duo leading the charge. Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning’s four consecutive wins over the Korean pair Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee demonstrate a psychological edge over one of their toughest rivals.
However, the team’s failure to reach finals in the other four disciplines raises questions about China’s overall competitive depth. The men’s singles program, once a source of national pride, continues to struggle at the highest level. The heavy loss by Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in men’s doubles suggests work is needed in that department as well.
What to Watch For
The all-Chinese women’s doubles final on May 31 pits the established world No. 1 pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning against the resurgent Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian. Liu and Tan defeated Jia and Zhang in the 2025 China Open final, but the newer pairing has shown steady improvement throughout the 2026 season and will be eager to claim a major title of their own.
Elsewhere on finals day, the men’s singles title will be contested between France’s rising star Alex Lanier and Singapore’s home favorite Loh Kean Yew, while the women’s singles final features a 33rd career meeting between An Se-young and Yamaguchi Akane. The Indian men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will also be in action after ending the 34-match winning streak of Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae in the semi-finals.
As the Singapore Open enters its final year as a Super 750 event before being reclassified to Super 500 status in 2027, this edition carries added significance for players seeking ranking points and prize money at the higher tier. For China, the tournament has been a reminder of both its enduring strengths and the areas requiring attention as the badminton world continues to evolve.