It was still immense. After successful world championships in Paris marked by an elimination against the world’s N.1 in the round of 16, Christo Popov continues on his momentum. He rose this Friday, early in the afternoon, in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong Super 500. He dominated the seeded N.4 of the tournament, the Singaporean Kean Yow Loh after an epic final, concluded 29-27 (!) And 1h12 of play. “I’m super happy to end up on this victory. It was a big battle as much mental, tactical and physical. We gave everything at the end. It was just survival after 20-20 to the third. Everyone made strokes incredible.“
If the first two rounds were quite expeditious (21-18, 9-21), the last was simply epic. Two players who never wanted to give in a thumb of land. A gap that has never been greater than two points after 6-3 in favor of Christo. “”It was a lot of tension, but I am happy to have managed the meeting well. I was more aggressive at the end“, Salters Christo Popov who had to fight against an opponent and a room that supported him.
Five matching match saved
This irrespirable fight finally returned to the ditch who erased five game flywheels to touch the goal and invite himself to the semi-final of the tournament where he could find Li Shi Feng (world n.4), favorite in his meeting of the day against Malaysian Leong. A Chinese rival that Christo already beat last March. 29-27, an infrequent brand on the best world tournaments that illustrates the current confidence of the world N.10 again present in the last square of a BWF version reported. A good omen for Christo Popov who will play one of the most raised tournaments in the world next week, the Super 1000 in China.
