The 2025 Arctic Badminton Open kicked off this week in Finland, with the first round of matches featuring women's singles No. 3 seed, Gao Fangjie, facing Germany's Li Yifeng. Despite a shaky start in both sets, Gao quickly found her rhythm and staged impressive comebacks, ultimately winning 2-0 in straight sets!
Li Yifeng, born in 1998, reached her career-high world ranking of 21st but has since struggled this season. Before this tournament, she had played 9 matches with a 5-4 record, with her best finishes being quarterfinals at the European Championships and the US Open. Her performance has led to a drop in the rankings to 54th.
展开剩余72%In contrast, Gao Fangjie, who is also 25, has had a much better season. She has competed in 34 matches, winning 19 and losing 15, giving her a 55.9% win rate. She reached the semifinals at both the New Orleans Masters and the Asian Badminton Championships. Though the two players had never faced each other before, the outcome of this match would depend on who could quickly find their form.
In the first set, both players focused on controlling the rallies with drops and lifts. However, Li got off to a quicker start, building a 4-1 lead early on. Gao slowly found her rhythm, managing to equalize at 10-all. In a tense phase, Gao made a series of unforced errors, allowing Li to take a 16-13 lead with some sharp net kills. However, Gao regained control, making the most of her height and using aggressive shots to score 7 straight points, ultimately winning 21-18.
The second set saw Li aggressively pushing for more attacks and establishing a 5-2 lead. However, Gao adjusted her pace, and after a series of intense rallies, she turned the tables to lead 9-6, eventually taking an 11-9 advantage into the break. With the pressure mounting on Li, she fought back to tie the game at 14-all, but Gao responded with a decisive 3-point run and maintained her lead, securing a 21-17 victory to win the match.
With this win, Gao Fangjie advanced to the women's singles round of 16 at the Arctic Badminton Open. As the tournament progresses, the competition will get tougher, but Gao will aim to continue her momentum and strive for a result she can be proud of.
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