The LI-NING Hong Kong Open 2025 kicked off today with the qualification rounds and the first matches from the first draw – and Ben Lane/Sean Vendy started their campaign in the Super 500 tournament with an amazing win.

In the qualification, Denmark’s Amalie Schulz secured her spot in the main draw with a three-game win against Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei, 17-21 21-14 21-14. After this great result, Schulz will face Chiu Pin-Chian, Chinese Taipei, in the first round tomorrow.

But if there was a standout match – and win – it was Ben Lane/Sean Vendy. The English pair played against none other than the world number twos, Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik. While the Malaysians were leading in the head-to-head going into the match, Lane/Vendy had defeated them in their most recent clash – and they did it again today, winning in straight games, 21-13 21-13.

It was less of a successful day for the other Europeans playing their first round matches today. Third seeds Kim Astrup/Anders Skaarup Rasmussen lost to Malaysia’s Junaidi Arif/Roy King Yap, leaving in the opening round.

But there’s more to come tomorrow, with big names still waiting to step on court, including Christo Popov, Line Højmark Kjærsfeldt, Jesper Toft/Amalie Magelund, and the much-anticipated return of Viktor Axelsen, who will face fifth seed Kodai Naraoka.

See the full order of play for tomorrow here.