CHEN/JIA continue their supremacy

We left these two pairs in the semi-finals of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. After an epic battle in a fiery arena, CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan won in three sets after 1 hour and 14 minutes of play (21/12 18/21 21/15). The Chinese women, crowned with gold, then went their separate ways. The reason? To train the future stars of their country by partnering with them. A choice imposed by their Federation.  

But now, a month after the Korea Open, the pair seem to have reunited. This is not necessarily good news for Pearly TAN/THINAAH Muralitharan, who have won only one of their nine matches against them. Reigning Olympic champions, two-time defending champions at the Asian Championships (2019 and 2022), and four-time world champions (2017, 2021, 2022, 2023), CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan have one of the most impressive records in the history of women's doubles. 

Although long rallies were rare at the start of the match (5/5), the Chinese pair managed to break away, thanks to their rallies (13/8). The Malaysians were unable to contain the striking power of the former world number ones. After 16 minutes of play, the CHEN/JIA duo logically led (21/16). 

Building on their momentum, they raced ahead with a quick 7-1 run. TAN and THINAAH looked to each other, but seemed unable to find a solution. They did manage to fight back, but each point required considerable effort on their part. In control, the Chinese pair eventually won 21/16 in 39 minutes of play. The Malaysians never once led in the match. Despite this negative result, the 2025 World Championship runners-up still reached their 15th quarter-final of the year in 18 tournaments. But tonight, the task was too great. 

In the semi-finals, CHEN Qing Chen and JIA Yi Fan (seeded No. 5) will face their compatriots LI/LUO (seeded No. 8).