Alex Lanier shone in an all-European clash on a tough day for Europeans.
With 12 European players and pairs entering the round of 16 at the LI-NING China Masters 2025, hopes were high for the continent on day three of the tournament. However, the optimism quickly turned somber.
Popov starts the day strong
Not right from the start, though. Christo Popov was the first European to step on court, facing Chou Tien Chen in their fourth meeting of the year. Popov continued his strong form, having finished third at last week’s Hong Kong Open, as he defeated the sixth seed to book his spot in the next round. Tomorrow he will face World Championships runner-up Kunlavut Vitidsarn. The two famously met in the BWF World Junior Championships final, where Vitidsarn came out on top. Their most recent encounter was in 2023 at the Arctic Open in Finland, where Christo won. Tomorrow’s battle promises to be an exciting one, as both are among the favorites to clinch the title.
Viktor Axelsen vs Alex Lanier
Next up was the highly anticipated clash between Alex Lanier and Viktor Axelsen, whose previous meeting was cut short due to Axelsen’s illness. This time, fans got their money’s worth in a thrilling contest.
Lanier started strongly, taking a comfortable lead in the opening game by capitalising on Axelsen’s lack of recent match rhythm. He even reached match point. But Axelsen, showing glimpses of his old dominance, saved it, turned the game around, and snatched the opener. With momentum on his side, the Dane surged ahead 15-9 in the second game.
Then everything changed. Physically and mentally, Axelsen faltered, while Lanier unleashed an unstoppable run of 12 straight points to take the game without conceding another rally. With Axelsen unable to recover, Lanier dominated the decider to secure his place in the quarterfinals.
There, he will face his other Danish rival Anders Antonsen, who defeated Ng Ka Long Angus in three games today. Lanier leads their head-to-head 2-1, but Antonsen won their most recent encounter at the 2025 European Mixed Team Championships final. With their history of training and competing together, tomorrow’s clash promises to be another must-see match.
Mixed fortunes for Europeans
Outside of men’s singles, it was a disappointing day for European hopes. Jesper Toft/Amalie Magelund, Mads Vestergaard/Christine Busch, Line Christophersen, Mia Blichfeldt, Anders Skaarup Rasmussen/Kim Astrup, Ben Lane/Sean Vendy, Toma Junior Popov, and Nhat Nguyen all bowed out of the tournament.
Still, fans can look forward to two blockbuster matches tomorrow: Christo Popov vs Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and Alex Lanier vs Anders Antonsen.
For all of today's results, click here.
For tomorrow's order of play click here
