Shi Yuqi and Li Shifeng set up all-China semi-final at All England Open
BIRMINGHAM: Chinese top seed Shi Yuqi overcame Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew 21-18, 21-16 on Friday to book his place in the All England Open semi-finals. Shi, the 2018 champion and current world number one, showed resilience after trailing 11-8 in the first game before securing victory.
He will now face compatriot Li Shifeng in a highly anticipated rematch of the 2023 final. Sixth seed Li, the defending champion, comfortably defeated India’s Lakshya Sen 21-10, 21-16, despite requiring medical attention for bleeding fingers. Sen had earlier stunned reigning champion Jonatan Christie but could not overcome Li’s dominant performance.
The other men’s semi-final will see France’s Alex Lanier take on Taiwan’s Lee Chia-hao. Lanier edged past Wang Tzu-wei 21-19, 21-13, while Lee overcame Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto 21-9, 21-18.
Meanwhile, in the women’s draw, the top four seeds all advanced safely to the semi-finals, ensuring a battle among the tournament’s best for the prestigious title.
