France’s Christo Popov delivered the shock of the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou on Thursday, toppling top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn in a gripping three-game battle to seal his place in the men’s singles semifinals and send fresh ripples through the season-ending showcase.
In a pulsating 74-minute contest, world No.8 Popov combined disciplined defence with timely attacking bursts to frustrate the Thai star, winning 21-11, 18-21, 21-10.
The victory guaranteed Popov a semifinal spot from Group A, while Vitidsarn must now fight for survival on the final day of group play. Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie, meanwhile, saw his campaign ended after suffering his second defeat of the group stage.
Denmark’s Anders Antonsen kept his hopes alive by overcoming Christie 21-16, 21-14, setting up a decisive showdown with Vitidsarn on Friday for the remaining semifinal ticket from the group.
Men’s Singles: Shi Yu Qi, Naraoka Cruise Through
In Group B, the semifinal line-up is already complete with Shi Yu Qi and Kodai Naraoka both booked their spots in the last four and will now meet to determine the group winner.
Shi was pushed hard by Chou Tien Chen but prevailed 21-11, 19-21, 21-15, while Naraoka continued his impressive run with a straight-games victory over Li Shi Feng (21-16, 21-15), underlining his consistency in the round-robin format.
Women’s Singles: An and Yamaguchi March On
The women’s singles followed a more predictable script in Group A, where An Se Young and Akane Yamaguchi confirmed their passage to the semifinals.
World No.1 An was clinical in dismantling Japan’s teenage prospect Tomoka Miyazaki 21-9, 21-6, continuing a season in which she has won 10 of the 13 World Tour events she has contested. Yamaguchi, however, was made to work harder, recovering from a first-game loss to defeat Putri Kusuma Wardani 22-24, 21-19, 21-13.
The two stars will meet on Friday to determine the group winner – a clash that also revisits their recent rivalry, with Yamaguchi the last player to defeat An in a World Tour final.
In Group B, China’s Wang Zhi Yi emerged as the only player to secure a semifinal place after beating Thai Ratchanok Intanon 21-17, 21-19. The group was further complicated by Pornpawee Chochuwong’s withdrawal due to a recurrence of a left calf injury, leaving Ratchanok and Han Yue to contest the remaining semifinal spot.
Men’s Doubles: Drama Deepens in Group B
The men’s doubles competition continued to deliver volatility, particularly in Group B, where Malaysia’s Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik suffered another setback, falling 21-14, 21-18 to China’s Liang Wei Keng / Wang Chang.
The defeat marked their ninth loss in 12 meetings against the Chinese pair and left them facing elimination yet again at the Finals.
India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty, however, confirmed their semifinal qualification with a three-game win over Fajar Alfian/ Muhammad Shohibul Fikri (21-11, 16-21, 21-11). Aaron and Soh must now defeat the Indians in their final group match to keep their semifinal hopes alive.
In Group A, Malaysia’s debutants Man Wei Chong/Tee Kai Mun reignited their hopes with a composed 21-18, 21-19 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Hsiang Chieh / Wang Chi-Lin, setting up a decisive clash with top seeds Seo Seung Jae / Kim Won Ho.
Women’s Doubles: Pearly–Thinaah Break New Ground
Malaysia celebrated a milestone in women’s doubles as Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan qualified for the World Tour Finals semifinals for the first time, courtesy of a straight-games win over Japan’s Rin Iwanaga/ Kie Nakanishi(21-13, 21-18).
The remaining semifinal place in Group A will be decided between Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian, who edged Japan’s Yuki Fukushima/Mayu Matsumoto in three games, and the Japanese pair.
In Group B, China’s Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning booked their place emphatically, dismantling Korea’s Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee 21-7, 21-10.
The final spot remains a Korean affair between Baek/Lee and Kim Hye Jeong/Kong Hee Yong.
Mixed Doubles: Top Seeds Fall, Malaysians Advance
The mixed doubles competition produced another headline shock as top seeds Dechapol Puavaranukroh / Supissara Paewsampran were eliminated following a second straight defeat, this time at the hands of France’s Thom Gicquel / Delphine Delrue, who prevailed 14-21, 21-14, 21-18.
Gicquel/Delrue now face Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa / Natsu Saito for a place in the semifinals.
In Group B, the semifinal line-up is already secured with Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei and China’s Feng Yan Zhe / Huang Dong Ping both advancing with contrasting victories. Chen/Toh rallied past Indonesia’s Jafar Hidayatullah / Felisha Pasaribu 17-21, 21-14, 21-15, while Feng and Huang edged fellow Malaysians Goh Soon Huat/Shevon Lai 23-25, 21-11, 22-20 in a tense three-game encounter.
RESULTS (GROUP STAGE)
Men’s Singles
Group A: Christo Popov (FRA) bt Kunlavut Vitidsarn (THA) 21-11, 18-21, 21-10
Anders Antonsen (DEN) bt Jonatan Christie (INA) 21-16, 21-14
Group B: Shi Yu Qi (CHN) bt Chou Tien Chen (TPE) 21-11, 19-21, 21-15
Kodai Naraoka (JPN) bt Li Shi Feng (CHN) 21-16, 21-15
Women’s Singles
Group A: An Se Young (KOR) bt Tomoka Miyazaki (JPN) 21-9, 21-6
Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) bt Putri Kusuma Wardani (INA) 22-24, 21-19, 21-13
Group B: Wang Zhi Yi (CHN) bt Ratchanok Intanon (THA) 21-17, 21-19
Han Yue (CHN) bt Pornpawee Chochuwong (THA) walkover
Men’s Doubles
Group A: Kim Won Ho / Seo Seung Jae (KOR) bt Sabar Karyaman Gutama / Mohd Reza Pahlavi Isfahani (INA) 22-20, 21-17
Man Wei Chong / Tee Kai Mun (MAS) bt Chiu Hsiang Chieh / Wang Chi-Lin (TPE) 21-18, 21-19
Group B: Liang Wei Keng / Wang Chang (CHN) bt Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik (MAS) 21-14, 21-18
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty (IND) Fajar Alfian / Muhammad Shohibul Fikri (INA) 21-11, 16-21, 21-11
Women’s Doubles
Group A: Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan (MAS) bt Rin Iwanaga / Kie Nakanishi (JPN) 21-13, 21-18
Jia Yi Fan / Zhang Shu Xian (CHN) bt Yuki Fukushima / Mayu Matsumoto (JPN) 21-19, 16-21, 21-16
Group B: Liu Sheng Shu / Tan Ning (CHN) Baek Ha Na / Lee So Hee (KOR) 21-7, 21-10
Kim Hye Jeong / Kong Hee Yong (KOR Hsieh Pei Shan / Hung En Tzu (TPE) 21-7, 16-21, 21-13
Mixed Doubles
Group A: Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue (FRA) bt Dechapol Puavaranukroh / Supissara Paewsampran (THA) 14-21, 21-14, 21-18
Jiang Zhen Bang / Wei Ya Xin (CHN), Hiroki Midorikawa / Natsu Saito (JPN) 21-17, 21-16
Group B: Feng Yan Zhe / Huang Dong Ping (CHN) bt Goh Soon Huat / Shevon Lai (MAS) 23-25, 21-11, 22-20
Chen Tang Jie / Toh Ee Wei (MAS) bt Jafar Hidayatullah / Felisha Albert Nathaniel Pasaribu (INA) 17-21, 21-14, 21-15
