Paris, Aug. 30 -- Top seed Shi Yuqi of China battled past compatriot Weng Hongyang in a grueling three-game contest to advance to the men's singles semifinals of the Badminton World Championships for the first time in seven years.
Shi eventually prevailed 2-1 (21-15, 7-21, 21-10) on Friday and will next face one of the tournament's biggest surprises, Canadian rising star Victor Lai.
In the quarterfinals, Lai stunned 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew from Singapore witha fearless performance.
The 20-year-old Canadian showcased blistering pace, precision, and sharp opportunism. Loh hadled 17-12 in the opening game, but Lai kept his composure, rallied back, and snatched the game before sealing a historic victory 2-0 (22-20, 21-18).
"Unbelie...