Iowa: Taiwanese shuttlers Lai Po-yu and Tsai Fu-cheng clinched the men's doubles title at the Yonex US Open 2025, defeating compatriots He Zhi-wei and Huang Jui-hsuan in a three-game thriller, 21-13, 21-23, 21-15. The riveting match took place on Sunday, marking a significant achievement for the duo.According to Focus Taiwan, the He-Huang duo, ranked 63rd in the world, initially took an early 6-3 lead in the first game against the world No. 86 pair, Lai and Tsai. However, Lai and Tsai quickly shifted momentum by reeling off eight straight points to surge ahead 11-6. Despite He and Huang's efforts to close the gap to 14-11, Lai and Tsai responded with another five-point run to take the opening game convincingly.In the second game, He and Huang gave a strong performance to build an 18-13 lead. Although Lai and Tsai staged a comeback to tie the score late in the game, He and Huang managed to edge out a 23-21 victory to even the match. However, in the decisive third game, He and Huang were unable to maintain their momentum.Lai and Tsai quickly pulled ahead, opening a seven-point lead at 17-10 before closing out the match with a final score of 21-13, 21-23, 21-15. In addition to Lai and Tsai's gold and He and Huang's silver, the bronze medal was shared by four Taiwanese shuttlers who were defeated by the top two teams in the semifinals.The men's doubles pairs of Chiang Chien-wei and Wu Hsuan-yi, along with Chen Cheng-kuan and Lin Bing-wei, all secured third place. Lai and Tsai's victory marked Taiwan's first gold at a U.S. Super 300 event in 15 years, with the last being won by Fang Chieh-min and Lee Sheng-mu in 2010. Their win was a product of a long-standing partnership that began in junior high school, fostering strong camaraderie.In women's doubles, Taiwanese shuttlers Chang Ching-hui and Yang Ching-tun, as well as Hsu Yin-hui and Lin Jhih-yun, collectively settled for third place, while Hsu Ya-ching and Sung Yu-hsuan took second behind Thai sisters Benyapa Aimsaard and Nuntakarn Aimsaard. Hsu Yin-hui an d her mixed doubles partner Chen Cheng-kuan also tied for third alongside U.S. homefield shuttlers Presley Smith and Jennie Gai.In men's singles, Taiwanese badminton ace Chou Tien-chen and fellow Taiwanese shuttler Liao Jhuo-fu both secured third place. The 2025 Yonex US Open, held from June 24-29 at Iowa's Mid-America Center, had a total prize purse of US$240,000.