The French player achieved an unprecedented feat by qualifying for the final of the BWF Finals, the master tournament of the discipline.
A page is turning for French badminton. This Saturday, Christo Popov wrote his name in the annals by becoming the first French representative to reach the final of the BWF World Tour Finals. The event, which brings together the eight best snowshoers of the year, is currently being held in Hangzhou. The Frenchman, ranked eighth in the world, dominated the Japanese Kodai Naraoka in two sets (21-19, 21-8) during the semi-final, after having achieved a perfect run in the group stage.
The meeting offered a striking contrast between the two sets. The first round was a close duel, where the two athletes alternated in the lead. Popov was able to produce the decisive acceleration by winning four consecutive points while he was slightly behind at 17-16, to finally win. The second act was quite different, the Frenchman immediately imposing his pace to build a comfortable lead and only conceding eight points to his opponent, concluding the match on his first match point.
At the end of this performance, the 23-year-old spoke of the importance of this first set won, which allowed him to approach the rest with more serenity and aggression. He also underlined the satisfaction of participating in this elite competition, a goal in itself, and of competing in full possession of his physical means. His presence in the final already constitutes a success beyond his initial expectations, after a period of absence from the field.
To win the supreme title, a final and formidable test awaits him this Sunday. He will face the winner of the second semi-final between the world number one, the Chinese Shi Yu Qi, and the number two, the Thai Kunlavut Vitidsarn. A duel at the top which promises to be demanding for the Frenchman, now one match away from a historic triumph.
