World No. 1 badminton star Shi Yuqi kicked off his BWF World Tour Finals campaign with a decisive win on Wednesday, defeating compatriot Li Shifeng 21-13, 23-21 in Hangzhou. The Chinese mainland athlete showed resilience despite recent injuries, declaring: "We showed good form today, which is positive." 🏅
Men's Singles Highlights
Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn dominated Indonesia's Jonatan Christie 21-10, 21-14, while Japan's Kodai Naraoka secured a clean victory over Chou Tien-chen of the Chinese Taipei team. France's Christo Popov delivered the day's most nail-biting match, edging Denmark's Anders Antonsen in a three-game thriller.
Women's Singles Action
Olympic champion An Se-young of the Republic of Korea survived a mid-match slump to defeat Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani. With 10 titles already this year, An could break the single-season record if she claims victory in Hangzhou. Meanwhile, China's Wang Zhiyi crushed compatriot Han Yue 21-14, 21-5, showcasing the depth of the host nation's talent.
The season-ending tournament, now in its third consecutive year in Hangzhou, continues through Sunday with $2.5 million in prizes at stake. 🌏🔥
