Not even an injury scare could hold back Chen Yufei as she dispatched World No.1 and reigning Olympic champion An Seyoung 2-0 (21-15, 21-17) to advance to the women’s singles final at BWF World Championships 2025 on Saturday (30 August).
In a highly-anticipated battle between two Olympic badminton champions, it was People’s Republic of China’s Chen who came out on top despite rolling her ankle at the start of a tense second game.
After a nervous early exchange in the opener, it was Chen who took an early lead, marching ahed of five consecutive points to go 7-2 at the adidas Arena. In front the Chinese shuttler then stayed, never relinquishing her lead to take the advantage 1-0.
Coming out fighting in the second, twice An built herself a lead, only to be recaptured by her Chen. At 11-11 the game looked to be perfectly in the balance as both shuttlers tested each other’s mettle, but, in the end, it would be Chen who seized the opportunity marking four consecutive points to leap in front 20-15.
It would take her, in all, three matches to finally see off An and advance to the final.
Earlier, Japan’s Yamaguchi Akane put on a blistering display in the third game to see off a spirited Putri Kusuma Wardani from Indonesia 2-1 (21-17, 14-21, 21-6) and book her place in the final two.
After a tense opening game, which went the way of the world No. 5 and two-time world champion, Wardani came alive in the second, breaking away at 10-11 and together six consecutive points using varied shot selection to level the match.
Her momentum quickly faded when Yamaguchi opened the third and final game with a 4-0 start before dominating the decider entirely, allowing just one point and reeling off seven straight to surge ahead 11-1.
As the 28-year-old Yamaguchi’s aggressive attacking style continued, Wardani’s errors only sped up the inevitable, handing the Japanese the match, 2-1.
Elsewhere, the result of the mixed doubles semi-finals means that the People’s Republic of China’s Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin will meet Malaysia’s Toh Ee Wei and Chen Tang Jie in tomorrow’s final.
World No.2 pair Jiang and Wei saw off fellow countrymen Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui 21-11, 21-23, 21-18 to secure their final berth. While the Malaysians bested France’s own Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel for their ticket.