ASTRUP/RASMUSSEN are quick !

Facing Japanese pair Takumi NOMURA/Yuichi SHIMOGAMI (No. 32) for the first time in their BWF World Tour career, Kim ASTRUP/Anders RASMUSSEN (No. 8) defeated them in 30 minutes: 21-7, 21-14. The Danes are through to the quarter-finals.

The Danish stars were out in force on day three of the Yonex IFB 2025! After Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Bøje qualified following an epic final set (29/27), Anders Antonsen qualified after an incredible marathon (1 hour 30 minutes of play) and Viktor Axelsen qualified in commanding fashion, the pair Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen followed suit.

For the first time, the two pairs faced each other on the circuit. While the Danes have played 595 matches in their careers, the Japanese have played a total of... 74. This huge difference in experience was evident on the court. At the end of the first set, the Nordics had made their mark (21/7). Incisive in their smashes, formidable at the net and ruthless in defence, they left their opponents with nothing.

Although the Japanese put up a little more resistance at the start of the second set (5/4), the Danes quickly pulled away. Complementing each other perfectly, they continued to play with the same consistency (15/7). So when NOMURA and SHIMOGAMI threw their last reserves of strength into the battle (18/14), this comeback did not cause ASTRUP and RASMUSSEN to waver. Three rallies later, they had qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition. The match lasted just 30 minutes.

They will face the formidable Malaysian pair Aaron CHIA/SOH Wooi Yok (seeded No. 2). ASTRUP and RASMUSSEN could be joined in the quarter-finals by their compatriots Daniel LUNDGAARD and Mads VESTERGAARD, who are playing the last match of the evening.