China Masters 2024: Men's top seed Shi Yuqi scores Paris payback vs Kunlavut Vitidsarn
World No. 1 Shi bounces the Olympic silver medallist in straight sets to avenge quarter-final defeat at this summer's Games.
Badminton
Shi Yuqi exacted Olympic Games revenge by eliminating Paris 2024 silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in two games in the quarter-finals of badminton's China Masters 2024 on Friday (22 November).
Men’s singles top seed Shi, who despite being world number one was knocked out by Kunlavut in the last eight in Paris, returned the favour in Shenzen 21-18, 21-8 to progress to the semis where the crowd favourite will face Jonatan Christie.
The Chinese shuttler had to work to take the first set but it in the second, he jumped out to an 11-2 lead to effectively put the match out of Vitidsarn’s reach, winning the last five points to prevail.
Indonesia's Christie overcame Shi's counterpart Lei Lanxi 21-17, 21-17 in a close-fought match. Lei kept pace with the more-experienced Christie throughout, being level at 16-16 in the first game and 15-15 in the second before the Indonesian dug deep both times to close out each game.
Meanwhile, world number two and double Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen is also through to the last four after seeing off Hong Kong, China's Ng Ka Long Angus 21-18, 21-11.
Ng struggled to get a foothold in the match, especially in the second game, with Axelsen asserting dominance to complete a 39-minute victory.
Top-seeded An Seyoung glided into the women's last four, defeating Zhang Yiman of the People's Republic of China 21-11, 21-11.
The Olympic gold medallist will next face Miyazaki Tomoka, who seized an all-Japanese quarter-final with Nidaira Natsuki 21-12, 21-17.