Hangzhou: In an exciting showdown at the BWF World Tour Finals, China’s world No. 7 Shi Yuqi secured his spot in the finals after defeating Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie in two straight games 21-16, 21-15 on Saturday. The victory positions Shi Yuqi to compete for the championship against world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen, aiming to reclaim the title Shi last won in 2018.
Highlights of Shi Yuqi vs. Jonatan Christie in the semi-final of the BWF World Tour Finals:
The semi-final match between Shi and Christie saw a competitive start with a 4-4 tie in the first game. Shi then took control with a remarkable 6-0 run, leading 10-4. Despite a strong counterattack from Christie, Shi Yuqi maintained composure, gradually widening the score, and clinched the first game with a score of 21-16.
The second game began with a 2-2 tie, but Shi Yuqi steadily increased the score difference, achieving a 5-0 spurt and leading 9-3. Although Christie made a comeback to narrow the score to 14-16, Shi Yuqi displayed steady play and secured the game with a final score of 21-15. The intense battle lasted 55 minutes.
Shi Yuqi, who was also former men’s singles champion in the 2018 BWF World Tour Finals in Guangzhou, is eyeing another victory in Hangzhou this year. In the other semi-final, Danish player Viktor Axelsen defeated teammate Anders Antonsen with a convincing score of 21-9, 21-14, setting the stage for an exciting clash in the championship round as Axelsen is aiming for his third consecutive title.
In the men’s doubles category, the current world champions Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae prevented an all-Chinese final by defeating Ou Xuan Yi and Liu Yu Chen with a score of 21-13, 21-12. They will now face the world’s top-ranked pair, Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, in the final.
