French badminton star Alex Lanier thrilled the home crowd by securing his first Super 300 title at the Orleans Masters. The 20-year-old claimed victory in the men’s singles final, defeating Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Yi 21-13, 21-18.
Lanier dominated the opening set and, following his coach’s advice, adopted a more aggressive approach in the second. Despite Lin’s resilience, the Frenchman held his nerve and sealed the win on his second championship point, becoming the first French player to triumph in Orleans since Toma Junior Popov in 2021.
In the other finals, South Korea enjoyed double success. Kim Hyejeong and Kong Heeyong edged out top-seeded compatriots Baek Hana and Lee Sohee 21-18, 23-21 to claim the women’s doubles title, while Kang Minhyuk and Ki Dongju defeated China’s top-seeded duo, Liang Wei-keng and Wang Chang, in the men’s doubles final.
Denmark’s Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund emerged victorious in mixed doubles, overcoming Indonesia’s Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja.
Next up on the BWF World Tour is the prestigious All England Open, set to take place in Birmingham from March 11-16.
