The 2022 Korea Open saw a huge surprise when Weng Hongyang defeated the world's 8th ranked player, Jonatan Christie. As the tournament's biggest underdog, the Chinese shuttler managed to upset the Swiss Open champion. Despite his low world ranking of 156, Weng displayed remarkable grit in the Super 500 final to overcome the Indonesian star.
Weng Hongyang stunned world no.8, Jonatan Christie, to claim the Men’s singles crown of the Korea Open Badminton Championships 2022. China’s Weng Hongyang, the biggest dark horse at the BWF South Korea Open produced a stunner to upset the 2022 Swiss Open champion, Christie. Ranked 156 in the world ranking, Weng Hongyang produced one of the finest comebacks of the tournament, surpassing Indonesian Jonatan Christie in the men’s singles final of the Super 500 event.
Weng secured the victory with a hard-fought score of 12-21, 21-19, 21-15. This win marks the first time in three years that a Chinese player has claimed a gold medal in a global competition. Weng's rise was unexpected; since joining the national squad in March 2018, he lacked significant international exposure. He actually started this specific tournament as a replacement player, yet he ended up being the only Chinese player to make the semifinals and ultimately lift the trophy.
The first game went smoothly for the Indonesian, who used his aggressive smashing to win 21-12. While the crowd expected a quick victory, Hongyang stepped up his game in the second set, managing a two-point lead heading into the break. Christie then relied on his veteran experience to close that gap, leading to a tense 15-15 deadlock as both athletes traded points.
For a moment, the 24-year-old Christie seemed to regain control, pushing his lead to 19-15 after a long shot from Weng. However, the Chinese player showed nerves of steel, scoring three straight points to level the game at 19-19. Weng then clinched the final two points to force a deciding third game.
In the final set, Weng played with elegance and precision, establishing an 11-7 lead by the break. Christie fought desperately to get back into the match, narrowing the gap to a single point at 15-16. Ultimately, however, Weng Hongyang's momentum was too much, and he emerged as the champion.
On the women's side, home crowd favorite An Se-young claimed the title by beating the sixth seed, Pornpawee Chochuwong. The second seed dominated the match, winning in straight sets with scores of 21-17 and 21-18. This victory is particularly special as it's the first time a local player has won the women's singles since Sung Ji-Hyun back in 2015.