The Sathio Australian Open 2025 is underway in Sydney, giving New Zealand’s athletes a valuable opportunity to compete against some of the world’s strongest players. The tournament provides essential experience, exposure, and growth for our developing Kiwi talent.
Mixed Doubles
New Zealand opened the main draw with Edward Lau and Shaunna Li taking on Indonesia’s Maulana and Jamil, the eighth seeds and World No. 25.
The Indonesian pair showed their class to secure the match 21–9, 21–14, but it was a valuable opportunity for the Kiwi duo to compete at a world-class Super 500 level.
Men’s Doubles
Raphael Deloy and Adam Jeffrey faced former Olympians Choi Sol Gyu (Korea) and Goh V Shem (Malaysia). The Kiwis produced strong rallies but were outplayed 21–8, 21–13.
Dylan Soedjasa, partnering with Australia’s Steven Stallwood, also faced tough opposition in Chinese Taipei’s Su Ching Heng and Wu Guan Xu. It went point for poiThe Taipei pair, recent champions at the North Harbour International, were consistent and composed throughout, winning 21–17, 21–16 with a late push in both games.
Men’s Singles
One of the standout performances of the day came from Edward Lau in the men’s singles. Edward pushed Japan’s Shogo Ogawa through an intense three-game battle, producing the closest and most exciting match of the tournament for New Zealand so far.
After a strong start from the Japanese player, Edward responded brilliantly, taking the second game. The final scoreline was:
Shogo Ogawa (JPN) def. Edward Lau (NZL)
21–16, 16–21, 21–10
Edward impressed the crowd with his fighting spirit showing consistency throughout the long rallies.
Women’s Singles
Thirteen-year-old Amy Wang opened her Super 500 debut with a convincing win in qualification, securing her place in the main draw. She then faced Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching, who won 21–10, 21–11, but Amy displayed impressive maturity and competitive spirit for her age.
Shaunna Li faced a rare and valuable opportunity against reigning World Number One An Se Young of Korea. The Korean star demonstrated world-class precision to take the match 21–6, 21–6.
We are proud to see New Zealand represented on the world stage and look forward to watching our players continue to grow and rise as they develop for future competitions.
Photo Credit: BadmintonPhoto