In arguably the most exciting day of the tournament so far, semifinals day of the CROWNE PLAZA Northern Marianas Open 2025 had it all. From major upsets to long-lasting matches, there was not a dull moment in the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium today. With all but four matches going to three games, it took incredible amounts of grit and heart to progress to the finals.
MIXED DOUBLES
Edward Lau and Shaunna Li (NZL) stormed to an early lead. Haruki Kawabe and Kokona Ishikawa (JPN) closed the gap, but Lau/Li held strong to claim the first game 21-19. After trailing into the interval, something seemed to change for Kawabe/Ishikawa in the second half of the second game. Immediately, the pair pressured the Kiwi duo, forcing mistakes and rattling their confidence. The result? The Japanese pair won the second game 21-11. In the final game, the opponents were inseparable. The play was dictated by both Lau and Kawabe, with Li and Ishikawa trying to find their place on the court. In the latter half of the final game, Ishikawa‘s serves and defence proved to inch the Japanese duo over the edge into victory. They won the match 19-21, 21-11, 27-25.
Akira Koga and Yuho Imai (JPN) dominated from the start, racing to a substantial lead over their Chinese Taipei opponents, Yu Hsiang Chou and Yuan Chi Liao. After taking the first game 21-8, Chou/Liao found their rhythm, closing the gap after the interval to surge ahead. However, the pair from Japan dug deep to respond and won the second game 25-23.
MEN’S DOUBLES
Korea’s Park Beom Soo and Shin Tae Yang faced Japan’s Haruki Kawabe and Kenta Matsukawa. Even though both Japanese player competed well this tournament in the mixed, it was clear their strength lay in the doubles. The strength of their partnership outclassed the Koreans, who put up a staunch fight but could not make inroads against them. Kawabe/Matsukawa walked away as winners in just under 40 minutes. The final score was 21-13, 21-18.
Kawake/Matsukawa’s win meant that no matter the score of the other semifinal, there would be an all Japanese final.
Akira Koga once again took the the court with his partner Naoya Kawashima to take on Kakeru Kumagai and Hiroki Nishi. Koga tried to inject his experience into the match, but their opponents’ tactics prevailed. Kumagai/Nishi managed to target Kawashima frequently, and despite his strong effort, there was little he could do. In the end, third seeds Kumagai/Nishi triumphed, winning the match 21-17, 21-16.
WOMEN’S DOUBLES
With all Japanese semifinals, those who progressed to the finals would need to win a mental battle.
Hinata Suzuki and Nao Yamakita looked strong but could not shake compatriots Yui Komatsu and Natsuki Sone. Over 73 gruelling minutes, both sides tested each other. It wasn’t until the final game, where Suzuki/Yamakita broke away to secure the win 21-18, 19-21, 21-16.
Kokona Ishikawa returned to the court with Ririna Hiramoto. They took on Tomona Harima and Tsukoko for the second spot in the finals. The first game was incredibly close, but as the pair got deeper into the match, Ishikawa/Hiramoto proved to be the stronger duo. While Harmina/Yasaki won the first game, Ishikawa/Hiramoto ran away with the match to win 19-21, 21-11, 21-14.
MEN’S SINGLES
Number one seed, Jeon Hyeok Jin (KOR), took on compatriot Kim Hae Deun on court one. It was an even physical battle for the opponents, so the winner would be whoever got a fraction luckier, whoever made the least amount of mistakes. Over 78 minutes, the players’ tenacity and mental strength was put the the test. Eventually, it was Kim Hae Deun that booked his spot in the final, taking down the favourite 21-15, 11-21, 24-22.
Meanwhile, on court two, Japan’s Yudai Okimoto put Korea’s Cho Geonyeop to the test. With aggressive tactics and good attacks, both players fought for the net. The first to break the defense would be awarded the advantage. In the first game, it was the Japanese player who broke through, while Cho refocused to clinch the second. In the decider, Okimoto’s aggression paid off, and he won the match 21-16, 13-21, 32-21.
WOMEN’S SINGLES
Park Ga Eun continued to show her dominance, commanding a 21-11 first-game win over fellow Korean, Kim Min Ji. Park’s experience shone through, but a strong challenge from Kim in the second game looked to shake up the result. Her late effort to close down the gap came too late, and Park ran away with a second game 21-16 win to secure her spot in the final.
On the other court, it was a Japan versus Japan battle between Kanae Sakai and Sakura Masuki. The players knew each other’s games and strengths, so it became a mental competition. Trading leads continuously, it was difficult to predict who the eventual winner would be. Three games and 68 minutes later, it was the second seed, Masuki, who emerged victorious. The final score was 23-21, 18-21, 21-18.
