9. November 2023

Top-class badminton and a fantastic atmosphere: the HYLO^® OPEN 2023 in Saarbrücken was a complete success

This popular badminton tournament came to an end on Sunday, with the expected Asian dominance of the finals and an emotional climax for the Germans the previous day.

From 31 October to 5 November 2023, the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken once again hosted the HYLO^® OPEN 2023. Top athletes from all over the world came to Saarland, offering six days of international top-level badminton performances to a total of more than 5000 live spectators and a billion people worldwide via screens and TVs.

What began 36 years ago as a small, regional badminton tournament has now become a world-renowned Grand Prix competition. With total prize money of 210,000 US dollars, the tournament falls into the ‘BWF World Tour Super 300’ category within the Badminton World Federation BWF’s tournament structure. As well as vital world ranking points, this year’s tournament also allowed players to gain qualification points for the badminton competition at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Numerous national and international stars of the badminton scene therefore came to the Saarland state capital to compete.

Spine-tingling moments and a magical mood

The stage was set for exciting, appealing badminton fun. From the very first day, players from more than thirty countries and covering five disciplines offered high-quality, exciting, in some cases dramatic games and delighted the increasing numbers of spectators streaming into the Saarlandhalle.

Growing audience interest

The long tradition and increasing popularity of the HYLO^® OPEN inspires badminton fans and enthusiasts from all over Germany and across the world. As well as the many Saarland locals who keep this top event on their doorsteps at the top of their to-do list every year, an increasing number of fans and fan groups travel here by bus from Germany and abroad. Amateur badminton communities and clubs from Bavaria, Hesse or Lower Saxony, countless French supporters from the neighbouring region, and many Asian fans celebrating their Indonesian or Taiwanese heroes and wanting to see them up close together ensured a fantastic, high-spirited mood throughout the tournament.

Magic moments

These came to a climax on the semi-final day of the HYLO^® OPEN 2023, when more than 1,000 celebrating fans ensured a magical Saturday evening in Saarbrücken’s Saarlandhalle for the last men’s doubles match between Germany’s European champions Mark Lamsfuß and Marvin Seidel and reigning Olympic Champions Wang Chi-Lin and Lee Yang of Taiwan. All four players put on a fantastic show and electrified spectators from the very first shot. Fans returned the favour with deafening applause, fan songs and ongoing ‘Mark and Marvin’ chants, which were still resounding through the Saarlandhalle even 30 minutes after the game ended. The fact that Lamsfuß and Seidel narrowly missed out on a place in the final at 15:21 and 19:21 was almost incidental. A visibly moved Marvin Seidel, a Saarland native, was overwhelmed by this rather unusual level of support for German badminton, and could not hide a few emotional tears. After an extended period of celebration and autographs with countless fans who stayed behind in the mixed zone, the European champions summarised the exceptional evening as follows: ‘That was incredible. The best defeat of our lives.’

Inspiring and promoting young talent in Germany

For the many kids in the audience, this Saturday at the HYLO^® OPEN 2023 was also unforgettable – the ‘train with the best’ event was once again held as part of the HYLO^® Open. Professional badminton players such as Isabel Lohau, Linda Efler and Stine Küspert trained with around a hundred children and young people at the sports college, offering training tips and organising joint practice for young talent who had in some cases travelled a considerable distance. All participants were then able to cheer on their idols and experience games from up close in the Saarlandhalle. This could not have been better scripted, as the young talent were able to celebrate late into the evening on Saturday with the German semi-finalists after their impressive performance.

For the Germans, the semi-finalists in the men’s doubles were also joined by German champion Yvonne Li in the women’s singles and BC Bischmisheim local hero Isabel Lohau with her mixed doubles partner Mark Lamsfuß all making it into the last eight. Despite playing well, the quarter finals then unfortunately marked the end point for the athletes of the DBV (German badminton federation) squad.

Asian favourites won through to shape the final day of play

Exciting, well-matched concluding games once again delighted a packed audience and ensured a celebratory atmosphere. It was no surprise that the Sunday saw players from China, Taiwan, Indonesia and Hong Kong facing off against each other in the finals of this year’s HYLO^® Badminton Open. The only exception was the women’s final, where Dane Line Kjaersfeldt faced opponent Beiwen Zhang from the USA.

Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan celebrated his fourth tournament victory in Saarbrücken, living up to his position as favourite in the men’s singles and emerging victorious against Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in a fantastic three-set match. In doing so, the crowd favourite became the tournament’s record winner and erased the painful memory of last year’s dramatic final defeat.

Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong were the only unseeded pair to claim the title, in the mixed doubles.

Whilst Chinese women’s doubles team Zhang Shu Xian and Zheng Yu were declared the winners by default after their opponents suffered a muscle injury and retired early in the second set, their compatriots put on a fantastic show in the men’s doubles. Liu Yu Chen and Ou Xuan Yi were the top-seeded pair in the tournament and lived up to this ranking, beating reigning Olympic champions Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin in the final.

All results from the HYLO^® OPEN 2023

Successful dress rehearsal offering a taste of the 2024 European Championships

The HYLO^® OPEN 2023 was a complete success in all respects, leaving spectators, athletes and event organisers wanting more and offering a foretaste of the upcoming European Singles Badminton Championships, being held in Saarbrücken’s Saarlandhalle from 8 to 14 April 2024. The dress rehearsal proved more than successful.

Tickets for the European Championships are available online here from 8 November 2023.

With their 200 employees and some volunteer supporters, the BC Bischmisheim team – led by tournament director and founding father Frank Liedke and organisational manager Janine Göbbel – have once again set up a top event, ensuring smooth operations and ideal conditions for top-quality sport in a fantastic atmosphere. Whether a shuttle service for the players, medical and physical care, referees and line judges, game organisation, or tournament schedule, the club puts in an excellent performance throughout and meets the highest standards for a large-scale international event.

The highly motivated media team led by Thomas Fuchs is working round the clock to ensure the tournament’s global media presence and has been producing posts for various communications channels (@hylo.sports & @hylo_open).

We at HYLO^® SPORTS are also supporting the home tournament, and as well as daily live broadcasts and the sporting highlights of the day, our #BEHINDTHEOPEN series will provide plenty of looks behind the scenes into the people who help make the tournament what it is: