The 2023 World Badminton Championships being held in Denmark will enter the finals of five individual events tonight, Beijing time. In the first mixed doubles final, defending champions and Chinese duo Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong failed to show their best form and lost 1-2 to their previously unbeaten opponents, Korean duo Xu Chengzai/Cai Youding.

This pair of South Korean players also became the mixed doubles champions of the World Championships for the first time.

A group photo of four pairs of players who won the mixed doubles gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Badminton World Championships. Live video screenshot

The world's top ranked IELTS pair, who have previously won three World Championships in mixed doubles, will make history by becoming the world's first pair to win four World Championships in mixed doubles if they win again in this competition.

In today's final, facing the South Korean duo with a record of nine wins in nine matches, it can be said that the "IELTS" duo had a clear psychological advantage. However, after the game began, the initiative was held by the more impactful South Korean duo.

Xu Chengzai/Cai Youding were more proactive in fighting, but Zheng Siwei seemed to have been unable to enter the state for a long time. In the first game, Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong remained in a passive position and lost 17:21. In the second round, Zheng Siwei finally made a noticeable improvement, and the Chinese team played very smoothly, quickly winning 21-10.

But after entering the decisive game, the game returned to the state of the first game, with Xu Chengzai/Cai Youding having extremely strong impact, while Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong made more mistakes. In the final stage of the competition, despite Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong's efforts to catch up, the difference in points left behind was too large, and they ultimately lost 18:21.

In this way, the top contenders for the mixed doubles event in this competition, Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong, could only regretfully watch their opponents stand on the highest podium. However, for the IELTS group, the ultimate goal is next year's Paris Olympics. Although this defeat is painful, it is also an opportunity to expose and solve problems, waiting for another Olympic battle next year.