The King Cup was held again, an event tied to the name of Lin Dan. The tournament is invitational, featuring only men’s singles matches, so no world ranking points are awarded to the players.
The gold medal and the cash prize were claimed by Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, who defeated this year’s junior world champion, China’s Hu Zhe An, in the final. The 18-year-old gave his opponent a hard time in the match, but on this occasion, experience proved decisive.
Hu Zhe An, earned recognition from his idol, Lin Dan, by defeating Olympic semifinalist Lakshya Sen yesterday. The young Chinese player won the Junior Asia Championships last year, secured silver at the Junior World Championships, and claimed gold at both tournaments this year. Hu Zhe An has already shown his potential in senior competitions, winning his first-ever Tour (Super 100) event in Baoji. Thanks to his performance at the King Cup and his recent successes, he heads into his first senior season with great confidence. His main goal is to break into the world ranking’s top tier as soon as possible to compete against the best players.
The tournament also featured exhibition matches, with organizer Lin Dan stepping onto the court. The two-time Olympic champion teamed up with Anders Antonsen in a doubles match against Taufik Hidayat and Hu Zhe An.