Top-seeded Shi Yuqi of China showcased his dominance at the All England Open Badminton Championships on Thursday, defeating Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei 21-11, 21-19 to secure his spot in the men’s singles quarterfinals in Birmingham, England.
Shi commanded the first game with ease, establishing control early on. In the second game, he surged ahead to a 14-8 lead, but the 35-year-old Chou displayed remarkable resilience, narrowing the gap to just one point at 20-19. Keeping his composure, Shi sealed the match with a powerful forehand smash, advancing to face Loh Kean Yew of Singapore in the next round.
In other notable matches, defending champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia was eliminated by India’s Lakshya Sen in straight games. Sen needed just 36 minutes to dispatch Christie with a convincing 21-13, 21-10 victory. Sen will next challenge China’s Li Shifeng, who avenged last year’s defeat by overcoming France’s Toma Junior Popov 21-18, 17-21, 21-15.
