On Friday, Dec 19, 2025, in Hangzhou at the BWF World Tour Finals, China9s world No.1 Shi Yuqi was on fire, crushing Japan9s Kodai Naraoka 21-9, 21-11 in just 28 minutes 💥🏸. That win capped a perfect 3-0 group stage for Shi, earning him the top spot in Group B and a date with Thailand9s Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semifinals.
Vitidsarn, the 2024 Paris Olympics silver medallist, punched his ticket from Group A after a nail-biter against Denmark9s Anders Antonsen. The Thai star took game one 21-15, dropped the second 18-21, but regrouped to seal the decider 21-13. Expect sparks when he meets Shi!
Over in the women9s draw, Republic of Korea9s Olympic champ An Se-young staged an epic comeback to beat Japan9s Akane Yamaguchi 14-21, 21-5, 21-14, proving why she9s a top title contender. On the doubles front, China9s home pairs Liu Shengshu & Tan Ning (women9s doubles) and Feng Yanzhe & Huang Dongping (mixed doubles) wrapped up their group runs unbeaten at 3-0, firing up the crowd for what9s next.
With the semis looming, all eyes are on Hangzhou for more high-octane rallies and player showdowns. Stay tuned—this is badminton at its best! 😉🎉
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
