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Facing his former rival Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Shi Yuqi suffered a crushing defeat, losing 11-21, 9-21, and ending his journey at the China Open early. In the men’s singles round of 16 on September 19, world No. 1 Shi Yuqi still appeared passive in his performance.
Once upon a time, Shi Yuqi had dominated Ginting, winning 11 of their previous 13 matches. However, this latest defeat marks his third loss to Ginting since his return in 2022. After making his comeback at the World Championships in 2022, Shi Yuqi lost to Ginting in a grueling three-game battle. He was again defeated in the group stage of last year’s BWF World Tour Finals, where Ginting made a comeback. Compared to those matches, this time, Shi Yuqi was dispatched in just 27 minutes, with even his coach Sun Jun, who has trained him since childhood, shaking his head in disbelief from the sidelines.
When he was trailing 3-15 in the second game, Shi Yuqi requested a medical timeout to treat injuries to his left foot and back.
Since his disappointing quarterfinal finish at the Paris Olympics, Shi Yuqi has repeatedly expressed negative emotions. After defeating former world No. 1 Son Wan Ho at the Korea Open, he jokingly remarked, “I, the weakest world No. 1, have finally beaten him today.” When asked about his newly dyed hair, he responded, “I used to be afraid of perming it, but now that I’m close to retirement, why not change it up?” After winning his first-round match at the China Open, he couldn’t help but complain, “I didn’t perform well at the Olympics, so now I’m working overtime. The ones who played well are attending concerts, while I’m stuck here.”
After his second-round elimination, Shi Yuqi, who often speaks sarcastically, commented, “Today’s result was caused by both mental and physical injuries. I think I played pretty well.”
Having competed in three tournaments since the Olympics, Shi Yuqi has expressed confusion about how to change his current situation. He also thanked fans who urged him to rest, saying, “I’m also thinking about whether I should continue or if this is enough.” In the short term, however, Shi Yuqi still has a goal: to qualify for the year-end BWF World Tour Finals. “I need to participate in at least two more tournaments to secure enough points,” he said.
The year-end BWF World Tour Finals, held in Hangzhou, is the last tournament of the season. According to the rules, the top eight players from each discipline, based on their best 14 tournament results, will qualify for the finals, with a maximum of two players (or pairs) per association. Shi Yuqi, currently ranked world No. 1, is fighting for more ranking points.
In this tournament, China’s top three male singles players (Shi Yuqi, Li Shifeng, and Lu Guangzu) were all eliminated early, while Weng Hongyang and Lei Lanxi performed admirably. Weng Hongyang, who defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu in the first round, came from behind to beat Chou Tien Chen 20-22, 21-18, 21-15 in the second round. Lei Lanxi, who previously knocked out Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, comfortably defeated Kenta Nishimoto 21-8, 21-17.
Additionally, the highly anticipated men’s doubles pair Liang Weikeng/Wang Chang were defeated 19-21, 21-18, 17-21 by Fikri/Maulana, falling short of reaching the quarterfinals.
