Chinese shuttlers Bao Lijing (right) and Cao Zihan play against Japan's Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi during their women's doubles final match at the Thailand Open badminton tournament in Bangkok, Thailand on May 17, 2026. Photo: VCG

China's badminton team produced a blend of breakthrough success and hard-fought disappointment at the 2026 Thailand Open Super 500 on Sunday, highlighted by a gold medal in women's doubles, a runner-up finish in women's singles, and a strong runner-up showing in mixed doubles by a young underdog pair.

The standout story for China came in women's doubles, where unseeded young pair Bao Lijing and Cao Zihan staged a memorable comeback victory. In a tense 72-minute final, the improvised Chinese duo defeated seventh-seeded Japanese pair Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi 2-1 (19-21, 21-16, 21-19) to claim their first-ever BWF Super 500 title.

Japan controlled the opening game with sharp attacks, but Bao and Cao regrouped impressively in the second, dominating through superior coordination and defensive solidity. The decider was a true test of nerve. Trailing at several stages, the Chinese pair mounted a determined late charge, saving crucial points and capitalizing on Japanese errors to seal the win on their second championship point. Emotional scenes followed on court.

This victory marks a major career breakthrough. The pair defeated Chinese Taipei's Hu Ling-fang and Jheng Yu-chieh, 21-18, 21-17, in just 40 minutes in the semifinals. Their success underscores the depth and rising talent in China's women's doubles program.

In the women's singles final, Olympic champion Chen Yufei was denied the title by Japan's Akane Yamaguchi, losing 0-2 (14-21, 18-21).Yamaguchi took the first game 21-14 after Chen struggled early. The second game was far more competitive, with Chen leading 4-0 and 11-7 at the interval. However, Yamaguchi fought back to level at 14-14 and 16-16 before producing a decisive finishing burst to win 21-18. 

In her post-match interview, Chen reflected on the match and her recent form. "I started the second game at a faster pace than the first, but problems emerged when the score reached 16-18. I made a mistake and can't control well," she said.

Chen also spoke about her mindset coming into this tournament: "I lost the final at the Uber Cup, and in that match I lost some patience and confidence. So I came to this tournament to find my rhythm and confidence." In the BWF Uber Cup women's team final in Denmark on May 3, the Olympic champion fell to world No.17 Kim Ga-eun in the second singles.

One of the biggest surprises of the week came from the relatively low-ranked Chinese pair Zhu Yijun/ Li Qian. As underdogs, they fought their way to the mixed doubles final, showcasing excellent attacking play, net work and mental resilience.

In the semifinals, Zhu and Li defeated Thailand's top-seeded home pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Supissara Paewsampran (world No.3) 2-1 (21-17, 10-21, 21-18) in a high-pressure 54-minute match, overcoming a vocal home crowd. 

In the final on Sunday against second-seeded Danes Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Bøje, the Chinese pair delivered another competitive performance but ultimately finished as runners-up. Their deep run to the final as a relatively new combination (ranked outside the top 40-70) represents a significant career milestone and provides valuable experience and ranking points as China continues to rebuild depth in the mixed doubles sector.

In the men's singles, Chinese shuttler Shi Yuqi withdrew before the semifinal, handing a walkover victory to Denmark's Anders Antonsen on Saturday.

The men's singles final served up a nail-biting 97-minute clash. Antonsen edged home favorite Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand to capture the men's singles crown. Indonesia's Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin lifted the men's doubles trophy.