🏸 On Wednesday, December 17, top seed Shi Yuqi of China kicked off his title defence at the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou with a commanding 21-13, 23-21 victory over compatriot Li Shifeng. Despite carrying niggles from a foot injury at China’s National Games, the world No.1 showed he’s still in peak form for the season-ending showdown.
The World Tour Finals, hosted in Hangzhou since 2023, brings together the top eight singles players based on this year’s tour standings, with a maximum of two entries per member association. The reigning Olympic and world champions also earn automatic berths, setting up a star-studded line-up.
Here are the Day 1 highlights:
- Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn cruised past Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie 21-10, 21-14
- France’s Christo Popov edged Denmark’s Anders Antonsen 21-13, 12-21, 21-19
- Japan’s Kodai Naraoka beat Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien-chen 21-17, 21-18
- Olympic champ An Se-young of the Republic of Korea survived a thriller with Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-16, 8-21, 21-8
- China’s Wang Zhiyi topped Han Yue 21-14, 21-5, while Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi and Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong also notched wins
With 10 titles already this year, the 23-year-old An Se-young is chasing her 11th to match the single-season record set by Japan’s Kento Momota in 2019. Talk about pressure and excitement! 🔥
Day 2 promises more epic rallies and underdog stories—stay tuned as the battle for the season finale crown heats up in Hangzhou. ✨
Reference(s):
World No. 1 Shi Yuqi of China begins BWF World Tour Finals with win
cgtn.com
