Chinese badminton players dominated the Japan Open semifinals on Saturday, reaching four finals across five tournament categories. The men's doubles competition represents their single missed opportunity for championship contention. Shi Yuqi defeated French competitor Christo Popov in men's singles after recovering from gastrointestinal problems that affected his recent performances. The Chinese player won 21-12, 28-26 despite facing three game points in the second set. Sunday's final pits Shi against defending champion Alex Lanier from France.
Women's singles features the tournament's top seeds in the championship match. South Korean world number one An Se-young defeated Japan's Riko Gunji 21-12, 21-10 while seeking her sixth annual title. China's Wang Zhiyi advanced past home favorite Akane Yamaguchi with scores of 21-15, 21-18. Chinese doubles teams Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning plus mixed pair Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin also secured final berths. Indian competitors Lakshya Sen, PV Sindhu, and the doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty experienced early tournament eliminations.
Women's singles features the tournament's top seeds in the championship match. South Korean world number one An Se-young defeated Japan's Riko Gunji 21-12, 21-10 while seeking her sixth annual title. China's Wang Zhiyi advanced past home favorite Akane Yamaguchi with scores of 21-15, 21-18. Chinese doubles teams Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning plus mixed pair Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin also secured final berths. Indian competitors Lakshya Sen, PV Sindhu, and the doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty experienced early tournament eliminations.
