Chen Yu Fei made a strong return to the HSBC BWF World Tour, entering the final of the  Orleans Masters Badminton 2025 and setting up a potential blockbuster with No.1 An Se Young.

The 2020 Olympic champion, whose last World Tour event was the Indonesia Open 2024 in June, had an extended break after the Paris 2024 Olympics, before making a limited return at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship last month where she played two matches.

Chen has struggled this week, with three of her matches in the leadup to the final going three games. On Saturday it was Beiwen Zhang’s turn to trouble her, with the USA player taking the opening game before Chen stormed back to clinch her final spot in 48 minutes.

In the other semifinal, An Se Young too had to work hard as she was tested by Gao Fang Jie, who won a close opening game. The Korean eventually hauled past her opponent, 20-22 7-21 21-14.

Other Highlights:

» It was a great day for Korea as they made three finals. Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee and Kim Hye Jeong/Kong Hee Yong ensured the women’s doubles gold for Korea, while Kang Min Hyuk/Ki Dong Ju made their first final as a pair beating compatriots Seo Seung Jae/Kim Won Ho in three close games.

» Home hope Alex Lanier is within one win of a first Orleans Open title after he beat Nhat Nguyen 21-19 21-18. Lanier will be up against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi, who beat young Indian hope Ayush Shetty 21-13 21-15.

» Danish mixed doubles pair Jesper Toft/Amalie Magelund made their first final this year, and will face Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja, who are in their second successive final.

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