Hangzhou, December 19, 2025 – the Chinese mainland’s World No. 1 Shi Yuqi stamped his authority on Group B at the BWF World Tour Finals, storming into the semifinals with a flawless 3-0 record. In just 28 minutes on Friday, he cruised past Japan’s Kodai Naraoka 21-9, 21-11 to finish top of his pool.
Naraoka’s defeat didn’t spoil the excitement, as he also advanced as group runner-up. Now Shi gears up for a heavyweight semifinal showdown against Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn. Vitidsarn clinched his spot from Group A with a nail-biter win over Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, prevailing 21-15, 18-21, 21-13 to seal his place in the last four.
On the women’s side, Olympic champion An Se-young of the Republic of Korea made a thrilling comeback to beat Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 14-21, 21-5, 21-14. Meanwhile, the Chinese mainland’s doubles contenders are on fire: Liu Shengshu & Tan Ning swept their women’s doubles group 3-0, and Feng Yanzhe & Huang Dongping did the same in mixed doubles. 👏
With the semis set, fans can’t wait to see if Shi Yuqi’s power game or Vitidsarn’s resilience will prevail, and whether An Se-young can keep her momentum going. Stay tuned for more badminton magic in Hangzhou! 🏸🎉
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
