Badminton fans are set for a thrilling showdown as China's Shi Yuqi and Li Shifeng prepare to face off in a highly anticipated men's singles semifinal at the All England Badminton Championships in Birmingham. The teammates secured their spots Friday with decisive victories, setting up a rematch of the 2023 final where Li claimed his maiden title at the prestigious tournament.
Top seed Shi, 29, displayed clinical precision in defeating Singapore's Loh Kean Yew 21-18, 21-16, while sixth-seeded Li overpowered India's Lakshya Sen 21-10, 21-16. Their clash highlights China's dominance in the sport, with three Chinese pairs also advancing to mixed doubles semifinals.
The men's draw features emerging talent from French player Alex Lanier, 20, who became the lone non-Asian semifinalist after defeating Wang Tzu-wei from the Chinese Taipei region. He'll face Lee Chia-hao, also from Chinese Taipei, in Saturday's other semifinal.
In women's singles, Tokyo Olympic champion Chen Yufei fell to South Korea's top seed An Se-young (21-9, 21-14), setting up a semifinal between An and Japan's Akane Yamaguchi. Meanwhile, fans can expect an all-China showdown as Wang Zhiyi takes on Han Yue in the bracket's other semifinal.
The tournament continues to showcase Asia's badminton prowess, with Chinese and Japanese pairs dominating women's doubles semis and China's He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu carrying national hopes in men's doubles.
