The local crowd at Shougang Park were treated to a thrilling finale to Day 1 at China Smash 2025, presented by Beijing Shijingshan Culture & Tourism Group. Chen Yuanyu and Kuai Man pulled off a late comeback to defeat Simon Gauzy and Prithika Pavade with a 3–2 win (9-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9).
Early signs strongly favored the French duo, as Gauzy and Pavade raced into a commanding two-game lead on the Infinity ∞ Arena. But Chen and Kuai shifted momentum dramatically, never looking back once they found their groove. Energized by the home crowd’s support, they clinched three straight games and snatched victory from the brink of defeat in a gripping mixed doubles showdown.
The roar in the arena had already peaked earlier, when Wang Chuqin stormed into the next round with a dominant performance over Jang Woojin (11-2, 11-9, 11-9). This matchup had occurred earlier in the month, when Wang also came out on top in their semifinal at WTT Champions Macao 2025—but tonight’s result was no less emphatic. The world No. 1 wasted no time, unleashing blistering form and cruising into Round 2.
Meanwhile, the magical run of qualifying sensation Ankur Bhattacharjee came to an end on Day 1 as well. His campaign was halted by Nicholas Lum, in a hard-fought 5-game battle (3-11, 11-9, 12-10, 6-11, 11-8).
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