Alex Lanier Wins While French Brothers Exit at Denmark Open

French badminton players experienced contrasting fortunes during the opening day of the Denmark Open in Odense, where world champion Alex Lanier secured a straight-sets victory while other members of the national delegation exited the tournament early.

Alex Lanier Advances Past Hu Zhe An in Straight Sets

Competing in his first match since claiming the world title on August 23 in New Delhi, 21-year-old Alex Lanier defeated China’s Hu Zhe An, ranked 32nd in the world, 21-18, 21-13 in 49 minutes on Tuesday, October 13. The French world number eight overcame a competitive opening frame to assert control in the second and advance to the round of 16 at the Super 750 event.

Lanier now advances to face India’s Kidambi Srikanth in the next round. Srikanth earned his spot in the round of 16 by defeating another French competitor earlier in the day.

Arnaud Merklé Falls to Kidambi Srikanth in Opening Match

Arnaud Merklé exited the men’s singles draw in the first round following a closely contested encounter against Kidambi Srikanth. The French player lost in two tight sets, 20-22, 19-21.

Merklé pushed the opening exchange beyond the 20-point mark before dropping the frame and maintained pressure throughout a hard-fought second set. Srikanth capitalized on decisive moments at the end of each game to secure the victory, setting up the upcoming second-round match against Lanier.

Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue Overcome Early Deficit

In mixed doubles, reigning world champions Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue recovered from a slow start to defeat South Korea’s Jang Ha-jeong and Kim Jae-hyeon 19-21, 21-19, 21-13.

The French pair dropped the opening game and fell behind 4-0 in the second before narrowing the gap to 16-16 and eventually leveling the match. Gicquel and Delrue established a clear advantage in the deciding third set to claim the win. They will face Japan’s Natsu Saito and Akira Koga on Thursday in the round of 16.

Toma Junior Popov and Christo Popov Exit in Men’s Doubles

Toma Junior Popov and Christo Popov were eliminated in the first round of the men’s doubles tournament by Japan’s Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi, who recorded a 21-14, 21-18 victory.

The French brothers held an 8-4 lead in the opening game before their opponents mounted a comeback punctuated by five consecutive points. A similar pattern emerged in the second set, where the Popov pair led 18-16 before conceding another five-point run to drop the match. Both players remain entered in the men’s singles competition.

Tournament Outlook and Schedule

The opening day at Odense leaves the French delegation with mixed results ahead of the upcoming French Open. While Lanier and the mixed doubles pair of Gicquel and Delrue advance in their respective draws, Merklé and the Popov brothers ended their doubles campaigns on the tournament’s first day.

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