Hey badminton fans! 🎉 On Thursday, the second night of competition wrapped up in Hangzhou, in Zhejiang Province on the Chinese mainland, and the home squad delivered big. Players from the Chinese mainland booked five spots in the semifinals at the BWF (Badminton World Federation) World Tour Finals thanks to epic performances and full-on court drama. 🚀
World No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi kicked things off with a 75-minute marathon against the ultra-experienced Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei. After an intense back-and-forth, Shi prevailed 21-11, 19-21, 21-15 to secure his second straight Group B win and a ticket to the last four. 🔥
Shi is now unbeaten against the 2018 Asian Games silver medalist since last season, extending his head-to-head lead to 14 wins in 19 meetings. "My opponent made many changes in the second game, with some tricks I hadn't seen before, which put a lot of pressure on my focus," Shi said. "His physical ability is truly exceptional. Apart from Lin Dan, his stamina might be the best I've ever seen."
In the other Group B match, Japan's Kodai Naraoka ended home star Li Shifeng's semifinal hopes with a 21-16, 21-15 win. Naraoka will face Shi in their final group contest, setting up a showdown you won't want to miss. 👀
With five Chinese mainland players through to the semifinals, the energy is sky-high as the tournament hurtles toward its grand finale. Stay tuned for more smash hits and edge-of-your-seat rallies! 🏸✨
Stay tuned for more action at the BWF World Tour Finals — the showdown continues! 🌟
Reference(s):
Chinese shuttlers clinch five last-four spots at BWF World Tour Finals
cgtn.com
