Chinese badminton stars Shi Yuqi and Wang Zhiyi electrified home crowds at the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo on Friday, securing semifinal berths in their respective men’s and women’s singles events. The victories underscored China’s strong presence in the tournament, which has drawn top talent from across Asia.
Shi, the men’s second seed, delivered a clinical performance against Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, winning 21-18, 21-18. He now faces Chou Tien-chen of the Chinese Taipei team, who edged Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in a grueling three-game match. Meanwhile, Thailand’s defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn staged a comeback against China’s Weng Hongyang, rallying from a first-game loss to win 20-22, 21-9, 21-9.
In a tournament-defining upset, 20-year-old Indian qualifier Ayush Shetty continued his meteoric rise by defeating Indonesian third seed Jonatan Christie 23-21, 21-17. Shetty had earlier stunned China’s Li Shifeng, cementing his status as a breakout star.
Women’s top seed An Se-young of the Republic of Korea and compatriot Sim Yu-jin will clash in a highly anticipated semifinal, while China’s Wang Zhiyi dominated Japan’s Riko Gunji 21-13, 21-15. The day also saw an emotional farewell as China’s Gao Fangjie retired after a hard-fought loss to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, concluding a career spanning over a decade.
Doubles action saw Chinese pairs He Jiting/Ren Xiangyu and Liu Shengshu/Tan Ning advance, alongside mixed doubles duo Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping, keeping China’s medal hopes alive across multiple categories.
