Shi Yu Qi’s bid for a second consecutive World Tour Finals title remains firmly on track after the Chinese star dismantled top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn in straight games 21-16, 21-13, in the semifinal of the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou today.
After negotiating a tight opening game, Shi raised the tempo and sharpened his attack in the second, pinning the Thai ace deep in his court and denying him any rhythm. The contest carried the intensity of a championship match, with Shi’s controlling the net and precise rear-court placement proving decisive.
Shi will now face Christo Popov, the tournament’s lone non-Asian finalist, after the Frenchman continued his breakthrough run by defeating Japan’s Kodai Naraoka 21-19, 21-8 in 50 minutes. Popov’s aggressive intent and composure under pressure again stood out, as he became the first European men’s singles finalist at this season-ending showpiece.
In women’s singles, An Se Young once again demonstrated why she has been the benchmark of 2025, brushing aside longtime rival Akane Yamaguchi 21-15, 21-12 with a performance built on relentless pressure and superior court coverage.
The Olympic champion seized control early, dictating rallies with her pace and depth, and never allowed Yamaguchi’s front-court craft to gain a foothold. The victory extended An’s head-to-head advantage over the Japanese star to 17-15, and booked her place in yet another season-ending final.
Standing between An and the title will be China’s Wang Zhi Yi, who showed resilience and physical superiority to recover from a game down and defeat Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon 15-21, 21-17, 21-11. Wang’s ability to sustain intensity in the decider proved telling as she surged away late to secure her place in the final in front of home fans.
The men’s doubles final will feature a blockbuster clash between Kim Won Ho / Seo Seung Jae and Liang Wei Keng / Wang Chang, after both pairs navigated contrasting semifinal tests.
Top seeds Kim/Seo were clinical, requiring just 28 minutes to dispatch Indonesia’s Sabar Karyaman Gutama / Muhammad Reza Pahlevi Isfahiani 21-9, 21-11, showcasing their speed, sharp rotation and attacking clarity.
China’s Liang and Wang, meanwhile, displayed resilience to rally from a game down and overcome India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty 10-21, 21-17, 21-13, steadily wresting control as the match wore on.
Japan’s Yuki Fukushima / Mayu Matsumoto continued their impressive run by reaching the women’s doubles final with a straight-games win over Malaysia’s Pearly Tan / Thinaah Muralitharan 21-19, 21-13.
The Japanese pair, aiming to become only the second Japanese combination to win the World Tour Finals title in six years, once again neutralised the Malaysians’ power game, repeating their victory from the group stage less than 24 hours earlier.
They will face defending champions Baek Ha Na / Lee So Hee of Korea, who battled back from a game down to defeat China’s Liu Sheng Shu / Tan Ning 15-21, 21-16, 21-19 in a tense semifinal that swung on experience and composure at the net.
China’s dominance in mixed doubles was emphatically confirmed as Jiang Zhen Bang / Wei Ya Xin and Feng Yan Zhe / Huang Dong Ping advanced to set up an all-Chinese final.
Jiang and Wei recovered from a slow start to outlast Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie / Toh Ee Wei 9-21, 21-11, 21-17 in a gruelling 58-minute contest, tightening their defence and controlling the key exchanges in the decider.
Feng and Huang followed with a composed victory over Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa / Natsu Saito, prevailing 22-20, 17-21, 21-9 as they asserted their authority in the deciding game.
Finals Match-Ups (Sunday, 21 December 2025)
Men’s Singles
Christo Popov (FRA) vs Shi Yu Qi (CHN)
Women’s Singles
An Se Young (KOR) vs Wang Zhi Yi (CHN)
Men’s Doubles
Kim Won Ho / Seo Seung Jae (KOR) vs Liang Wei Keng / Wang Chang (CHN)
Women’s Doubles
Yuki Fukushima / Mayu Matsumoto (JPN) vs Baek Ha Na / Lee So Hee (KOR)
Mixed Doubles
Jiang Zhen Bang / Wei Ya Xin (CHN) vs Feng Yan Zhe / Huang Dong Ping (CHN)
