Christo Popov Wins World Tour Finals: Historic Victory

Badminton player Christo Popov wrote a new page in French badminton by winning the badminton World Tour Finals in China on Sunday, the equivalent of the tennis Masters, a first for a French player.

The 23-year-old, 8th in the world rankings, achieved a double feat as he defeated Chinese No.1 Shi Yu Qi in two sets 21-19, 21-9. The day before, he had already become the first Frenchman to reach the final of this last competition of the season, in which he also participated for the first time.

In Hangzhou, he had a perfect run, with 100% victories including successes against the Dane Anders Antonsen and the Thai Kunlavut Vitidsarn, third and second in the world respectively. All he was missing was N.1.

Bad French has a future

And the seven places difference in the ranking of the “BWF” circuit, the international badminton circuit, was not really seen, as the native of Sofia, Bulgaria, was able to impose his game in front of the Chinese who was nevertheless formidable this year.

Crowned world champion in Paris last summer, Shi Yu Qi has also won several major tournaments, such as the China, England and Malaysia Open, all belonging to the Super 1000 category, the highest level of the circuit. But after holding on to win the first round, Popov definitely made his opponent of the day flinch by taking off to win one of the greatest titles of his career, at 23 years old.

Little brother of another promising French badista, Toma Junior Popov, Christo Popov has for several years been considered a great hope in his discipline, just like Alex Lanier, with whom he occupies the top 10 in the world.