A Sino-Japanese duel in the women's doubles final
The FUKUSHIMA/MATSUMOTO experience makes the difference
There is still some way to go for the newly formed duo, Arisa IGARASHI/Chiharu SHIDA (No. 39). Although their respective experiences have been successful, in women's doubles with Nami MATSUYAMA for the former, and in mixed doubles with Yuta WATANABE for the latter, their journey together is promising, but it was not enough to make the difference against their more experienced compatriots Yuki FUKUSHIMA/Mayu MATSUMOTO (No. 7). Ranked 7th in the world, they disposed of them in just 48 minutes: 21/13 21/13. Both imperious in defence and enduring in rallies, the latter, who have been playing together since after the 2024 Olympics, gave their compatriots no chance.
Mayu MATSUMOTO has reached her third Yonex IFB final, having already won the 2018 edition in women's doubles.
Mayu MATSUMOTO: ‘Playing against your teammates is difficult. It was our first match against them and I was nervous, even though they haven't been playing together for very long. Yesterday's match gave us confidence and we approached this match with the same mindset: not just defending and waiting for opportunities, but proactively pushing forward.’
Yuki FUKUSHIMA: ‘This is our first time in a final in a while. It's crucial to enjoy the opportunity without stress. Above all, we want to play our game without focusing on winning or losing.’
LI/LUO, the golden youth
They were also hoping to compete in their third final at the Yonex IFB. But CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan (seeded No. 5), winners in 2016 and 2024, will not be tasting that pleasure again. Both aged 28, their defeat in this semi-final against their 23-year-old compatriots LI Yi Jing and LUO Xu Min (seeded 8th) signals a changing of the guard in Chinese women's doubles.
LI and LUO (seeded No. 8), who defeated France's POGNANTE/LAMBERT in the round of 16, got the better of their compatriots at the Glaz Arena, winning 21-16, 21-17 in 58 minutes. Although they were caught up in the second set (14-7 then 14-13), they were not intimidated by their elders in a match that they ultimately led from start to finish.
Winners of the Malaysia Open in January and runners-up at the All England Open in March, FUKUSHIMA/MATSUMOTO are through to their third final of the year. Will they win their second title? Opposite them, LI/LUO will be looking to win their first title of the year, having not gone beyond the semi-finals so far.