HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2025 Day 2 Recap
Hangzhou, China – The second day of the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2025 in Hangzhou will be remembered for its stark contrast of fortunes. On one court, the gritty resilience of European badminton signaled a shift in the global order; on another, the cruel reality of professional sport left fans and players alike in varying states of shock. From the premature exit of Pornpawee Chochuwong to the “black magic” that haunted a Malaysian mixed doubles pair, Day 2 delivered the kind of high-stakes drama that defines the season finale.
The Tragedy of Group B: Chochuwong Withdraws
The most somber note of the day came from Group B of the women’s singles, where Thai star Pornpawee Chochuwong was forced to withdraw due to a recurring left calf injury. The withdrawal is a devastating blow for Chochuwong, who had opened her campaign with a brilliant victory against compatriot Ratchanok Intanon just 24 hours prior.
The injury, a recurrence of the same issue that forced her retirement against An Se-young in the Korea Open final earlier this September, flared up after her opening match.
“I played the SEA Games and I had fully recovered when I came here,” a visibly upset Chochuwong told reporters. “I was feeling fine… but after training day here I could feel it again. I forced myself to play yesterday, but today my calf started swelling again. It’s very disappointing… my body cannot go on.”
Impact on the Group:
Per BWF General Competition Regulations for group stage play, Chochuwong’s withdrawal renders her previous match results null and void. The “Group of Death” has effectively been reduced to a three-way shootout between Ratchanok Intanon, Wang Zhiyi, and Han Yue.
- Chochuwong will officially finish fourth in the group, receiving the corresponding ranking points and prize money.
- For Intanon, the loss to Chochuwong is wiped from the record, handing her a fresh lifeline in the tournament, though the circumstances are hardly how she would have wished to improve her standing.
“Black Magic” and the Curse of 20-17
While Chochuwong battled her body, the Malaysian independent mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie were left battling their own demons. In a match that will surely haunt their postseason analysis, the husband-and-wife duo stood on the precipice of a career-defining win over world No. 1s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping.
Leading 20-17 in the deciding game, Goh and Lai were one point away from cracking the impenetrable armor of the Chinese top seeds. What followed was a masterclass in composure from Feng and Huang, and a heartbreaking collapse from the Malaysians. The Chinese pair rattled off five immaculate points to steal the win 22-20.
“At the crucial point, we didn’t manage to control our mindset… we were too eager to end the game,” admitted Goh Soon Huat. The Malaysians, who have struggled to find consistent success as an independent pair this season, found the loss particularly bitter.
Lai Shevon Jemie tried to find humor in the pain, referencing a recurring nightmare: “Actually, it’s not the first time we’ve lost like this, 20-17, there’s some sort of, I don’t know, black magic (laughs)… but yeah, it’s disappointing.”
Despite the loss, the performance was a testament to their resilience. Playing without the infrastructure of a national federation, the pair pushed the world’s best to the limit, proving that their “ephemeral” opportunity in Hangzhou was no fluke.
Allez Les Bleus: The French Uprising
If Day 2 had a theme of redemption, it wore the tricolore. The French contingent, often the underdogs in Asia-dominated events, produced two of the day’s most significant results.
Christo Popov is rapidly becoming the story of the tournament in Men’s Singles. Following a dramatic opening day win—where he reportedly saved match points against Anders Antonsen—Popov produced a clinic to dismantle Thailand’s top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
The scoreline, 21-11, 18-21, 21-10, flattered the Thai world champion. Popov’s signature left-handed attacking style, often borrowing tactical nuances from his doubles play, kept Kunlavut uncomfortable throughout. By varying his pace and utilizing deceptive net shots, Popov neutralized Kunlavut’s famous defense, securing his second straight win and putting one foot firmly in the knockout stages.
Not to be outdone, the mixed doubles pair of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue kept their semifinal hopes alive with a vital win over Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran. Bouncing back from an opening loss to Feng/Huang, the French duo won 14-21, 21-14, 21-18.
Gicquel credited a shift in training philosophy for their late-season surge. “When we came back from Japan… it was less badminton and more physical,” he revealed. That extra gas in the tank was evident in the third game, where they outlasted the speedy Thais in high-intensity rallies.
The Heavyweights: Men’s Singles & Doubles
Beyond the upsets, the established order flexed its muscles.
- Men’s Singles: Japan’s Kodai Naraoka continued to be a wall that few can breach. He defeated China’s second seed Li Shifeng in straight sets, 21-16, 21-15. Naraoka’s retrieval game was sparkling, forcing errors from Li who grew increasingly frustrated as the match wore on. Meanwhile, world number one Shi Yuqi was pushed to the limit by the veteran Chou Tien-chen, eventually prevailing in a 75-minute marathon 21-11, 19-21, 21-15.
- Men’s Doubles: The Indian powerhouse duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty secured their second straight win, dominating the Indonesian pairing of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri 21-11, 16-21, 21-11. The Indians’ attack was simply too ferocious in the first and third games, overwhelming the Indonesian defense.
Other Notable Action
- Women’s Doubles: The match of the day in terms of sheer endurance belonged to Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian. The Chinese pair needed 91 minutes to overcome the Japanese veterans Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto (21-19, 16-21, 21-16).
- Women’s Singles: Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani may have lost to Akane Yamaguchi, but taking the Japanese star to three games earned her praise. “I’m pretty satisfied… stretching Se Young and Akane to three games,” she noted, highlighting a tough but promising debut campaign.
Looking Ahead to Day 3
As the group stages conclude tomorrow, the math becomes ruthless. For players like Goh and Lai, the path is now incredibly steep. For Christo Popov and Satwik/Chirag, a semifinal spot is theirs to lose. But as Pornpawee Chochuwong’s sudden exit reminds us, in the World Tour Finals, nothing is guaranteed until the final point is won.
What to Watch on Day 3:
- Group B (WS): With Chochuwong out, the remaining match between Ratchanok Intanon and the Chinese contenders will determine who survives.
- Group A (MS): Can Christo Popov complete a perfect group stage?
- Mixed Doubles: Can Goh/Lai recover mentally to salvage a win in their final match?
Hangzhou continues to deliver the world-class spectacle fans expected, proving once again why this tournament is the crown jewel of the BWF calendar.
Summary of Key Results (Day 2)
| Category | Matchup | Score | Winner |
| MS | Christo Popov (FRA) vs. Kunlavut Vitidsarn (THA) | 21-11, 18-21, 21-10 | Popov |
| MS | Kodai Naraoka (JPN) vs. Li Shifeng (CHN) | 21-16, 21-15 | Naraoka |
| MS | Shi Yuqi (CHN) vs. Chou Tien-chen (TPE) | 21-11, 19-21, 21-15 | Shi Yuqi |
| MD | Satwik/Chirag (IND) vs. Fajar/Fikri (INA) | 21-11, 16-21, 21-11 | Satwik/Chirag |
| XD | Feng/Huang (CHN) vs. Goh/Lai (MAS) | 20-22, 21-11, 22-20 | Feng/Huang |
| XD | Gicquel/Delrue (FRA) vs. Dechapol/Supissara (THA) | 14-21, 21-14, 21-18 | Gicquel/Delrue |
| WD | Jia/Zhang (CHN) vs. Fukushima/Matsumoto (JPN) | 21-19, 16-21, 21-16 | Jia/Zhang |
