The HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2024 will mark the end of the road for the all-conquering Zheng Si Wei/Huang Ya Qiong pair; will they be able to achieve a final hurrah in their last tournament together?

This will be question uppermost on the minds of fans as the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2024 gets underway.

Zheng/Huang haven’t played internationally since they won the gold in Paris, four months ago. Will the layoff cause rustiness, or will they come prepared to seize a final victory and leave the scene on top of the podium? The next few days will tell.

Whatever the form of Zheng/Huang, hosts China have sufficient firepower in the paired events. Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin have had a tremendous season, winning four titles from five straight events in a mid-season spell, and they will be expected to feature in the business end of the tournament.

The situation is identical for China in women’s doubles, with Olympic champions Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan not seen in action together since Paris 2024 – although Jia did play with different partners. Yet the home team wouldn’t be too concerned, for young duo Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning have stepped up, and head to the season finale with a string of title wins under their belt.

Challenge to China

Olympic champions Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin have played only two matches since Paris 2024 and their form will be in focus, but the other pairs arrive as equal opportunity contenders. Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen have been in six finals this year and appear to be getting better with time; Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto seemed to have lost their way mid-season, but stormed back with the Kumamoto Masters Japan title recently.

Goh Sze Fei/Nur Izzuddin have been a revelation in the second half of the season with titles in Japan, China and Finland, while compatriots Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik hit title-winning form at the Korea Masters.

Lee Jhe-Huei/Yang Po-Hsuan have had a very busy season – playing 21 events – and their form has wavered, but while at their best they can hold their own against any opponents.

The big surprise has been Indonesian pair Sabar Karyaman Gutama/Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani, who have outdone higher-profile compatriots like Leo Rolly Carnando/Bagas Maulana and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri/Daniel Marthin. Gutama/Isfahani have steadily improved their performances, and have been in three finals since September.

In women’s doubles, the likeliest threat to China are from Japan’s Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi and Chiharu Shida/Nami Matsuyama and Korea’s Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee.

Malaysia’s pairs in the women’s and mixed – Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan, Goh Soon Huat/Lai Shevon Jemie and Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei – have all had a strong season and will look to close it out in the most memorable way possible.