World No.3 Chen Yu Fei fell to her earliest loss this year, beaten in straight games by No.12 Beiwen Zhang in the second round of the DAIHATSU Japan Open 2023.

Zhang kept her composure in both games. In the first Chen overtook her from 9-13 down with a six-point streak; in the second the Chinese levelled from a 11-16 deficit and had four game points, only for Zhang to deny her the opportunity. The USA player closed it out in straight games, 21-17 24-22, to record her first win over Chen in five matches.

In the quarterfinals Zhang takes on Chen’s compatriot and 2016 champion He Bing Jiao, who won an all-China encounter over Wang Zhi Yi.