A month ago in Saarbrücken, for his first semifinal in a World Tour Super 300 tournament, the Hylo Open, long-time Alex Lanier took on the previous year’s finalist and future 2023 winner, Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan, who led series numbers 1 and 13e world singles (19-21, 21-19, 15-21).
This Saturday at Syed Modi International in Lucknow (India), young Strasbourg resident (18 years), 49e in the global rankings, experiencing essentially the same scenario for his second Super 300 last-four experience against Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto, 12e, the No. 1 seed 2 and this year’s other Super 300 winner, the Spanish Masters in Madrid on April 2. Unfortunately for him, the same results were not in his favor.
The 2022 European junior champion remained toe-to-toe with Nippon and held out for a marathon of one hour and forty minutes, before laying down his arms at the end of a non-decisive duel over three rounds (17-21, 21-13, 17-21), a first on the international stage between the two men.
After two Super 300 semi-finals, but also an International Challenge final in Ireland, in one month, the European hope of 2022 and 2023 will continue his tour in India next week at the Guhawati Masters (Super 100).
