China's Huang Yaqiong (right) and Zheng Siwei celebrate after the mix doubles final badminton match of the Denmark Open tournament in Odense on October 23, 2022. Photo: VCG

Chinese badminton pair Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong clinch eighth title of 2022 at the Denmark Open 2022 in Odense, Denmark on Sunday.

Zheng and Huang took the first game and had two championship points in game two, but the relatively new pairing of Feng Yanzhe and Olympic champion Huang Dongping managed to force a decider, according to the Official website of the Olympics.

The third game was full of tension and excitement, and it was Zheng and Huang who converted their fourth match point to triumph 21-19, 20-22, 21-19 and claim their second Denmark Open title four years after their first, it said.

In the women's doubles, Chinese pair Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan also secured a crown on the same day.

China's Chen Qingchen (left) and Jia Yifan pose on the podium after winning the women's doubles final badminton match of the Denmark Open tournament at Jyske Bank Arena in Odense, Denmark on October 23, 2022. Photo: VCG

Their greater attacking intent saw them get the better of South Korean pair Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee 21-12, 21-15 in 40 minutes, the media said.

Jia was the star of the match and produced a point to remember with her side 17-13 in front and trying to withstand a spirited fightback from the Koreans who had both won this title in the past with different partners.

Immediately after a miraculous retrieval, the left-hander smashed home a winner which left her opponents looking skywards with a mix of disbelief and admiration.

Baek and Lee saved two match points, but Chen and Jia soon closed it out with Chen claiming her first Denmark Open title after being on the losing side in three previous finals in women's and mixed doubles.

Unfair penalty

Prior to the finals, the Chinese Badminton Association filed a complaint on Friday to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) about unfair penalty against Chinese mixed doubles pair Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong at the Denmark Open, said the Xinhua News Agency.

Zheng and Huang received nine service fault calls, and Chinese coach Yang Ming was shoved by his Danish counterpart Thomas Stavngarrd while speaking to the referee in the round of 16 match against Danish duo Mikkel Mikkelsen and Rikke Soby in Odense on Thursday local time, it said.

Zheng and Huang managed to defeat the home pair 21-10, 19-21, 21-19.

Given that the Chinese pair are experienced competitors and have never had so many service faults called in previous tournaments, the Chinese Badminton Association questioned Sara Shahhosseini's fairness as the service judge.

The Chinese badminton governing body also argued that Stavngarrd provoked a physical altercation, which was live recorded and had negative impacts, but referee Raymond van Eijk did not intervene in time to stop it, Xinhua said.

Danish head coach Kenneth Jonassen apologized on Chinese social media on Saturday, saying that they would apologize again in person to coach Yang at next week's French Open, while not mentioning Stavngarrd in his statement, but instead referring to "the Danish coach engaging in the incident."

The Chinese Badminton Association requested that the BWF should immediately prohibit the two above-mentioned referees from officiating any match involving the Chinese team in any form, investigate whether the two referees have been involved in match-fixing, review and examine the service judge's officiating based on the videos, and that the service judge should provide a reasonable explanation for the nine service fault calls.

Agencies