4 November 2023
Harry Huang roared to his second tournament win in three weeks with victory at the Hungarian International.
After taking gold at October’s Egypt International, Huang came out on top once again as a classy global field assembled in Budapest.
Seeded fourth, Huang’s toughest test came at the hands of Indian qualifier Pranay Shettigar in the third round. He lost the second game and was pegged back in the third but came through for 21-18 14-21 21-19 victory.
Saturday’s final was a far more straightforward affair as he pushed past Danish seventh seed Karan Rajan Rajarajan 21-18 21-16 to take the title.
Seeded first in men’s doubles, Alex Green and Brandon Zhi Hao Yap fell agonisingly short in the final, beaten by Denmark’s Rasmus Espersen and Marcus Rindshoj.
After losing a thrilling opening game 23-21, they fought back to win the second 21-19 but couldn’t maintain the momentum in the third, slipping to 21-15 defeat in 59 minutes.
Espersen and Rindshoj also claimed the scalps of England’s Koon Fung Kelvin Ho and Samuel Jones in the semi-finals.
Jones reached the second round of mixed doubles with Sian Kelly, where they were beaten 21-15 24-22 by Spaniards Jacobo Fernandez and Paula Lopez.
In men’s singles, second seed Jonnie Torjussen was shocked 21-19 21-9 by Jeppe Brun in the first round.
Continuing her return to the court after snagging silver at the Polish International, Freya Redfearn was edged out 21-15 19-21 21-18 in a tough first round tussle with top seed Frederikke Lund, who went on to win the tournament.
Further down the women’s singles draw Lisa Curtin also ran into a in-form Danish seed further, going down 21-11 23-21 to Irina Amalie Andersen.
Image: Lucas Noyon via Badmintonphoto
