BIRMINGHAM, England – China will have a strong presence in the women’s singles semifinals at the All England Open Badminton Championships after both Chen Yufei and Wang Zhiyi secured victories in their quarterfinal matches on Friday. The results mark a significant step for Chinese badminton, continuing a strong showing at the prestigious tournament held in Birmingham.
World No. 3 Chen Yufei demonstrated her Olympic pedigree, dispatching Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong 23-21, 21-11 in a match that lasted just 51 minutes. Chen, the Tokyo 2020 gold medalist, appeared determined after a quarterfinal exit at last year’s All England Open. “My strategy is patience,” Chen explained, emphasizing her mental approach. “I always share myself, ‘you can do it, you necessitate to trust yourself,’ so I kept my patience and won the first game.”
Chen’s semifinal opponent will be top-seeded An Se-young of South Korea. This will be the first meeting between the two players in 2026, but their rivalry is well-established. Records show the head-to-head is remarkably even, with each player holding 14 wins in their 28 previous encounters. Chen acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating, “I am particularly happy to enter the semifinal, but it will be a tricky match tomorrow. So I need to prepare more.”
Also advancing for China was Wang Zhiyi, who overcame a mid-match slump to defeat Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki 21-13, 8-21, 21-16. The second seed displayed resilience, bouncing back after dropping the second game to secure her place in the semifinals. Wang will face another Japanese opponent, Akane Yamaguchi, in the next round.
The All England Open also saw notable results in the men’s singles competition. India’s Lakshya Sen continued his impressive run, defeating China’s Li Shifeng 21-13, 21-16. Sen had previously upset top seed Shi Yuqi of China in the first round, signaling a strong performance throughout the tournament.
In doubles action, China’s Chen Boyang and Liu Yi, runners-up at the 2025 World Championships, advanced in the men’s doubles bracket. They defeated Indonesia’s Muhammad Rian Ardianto and Rahmat Hidayat 21-16, 21-10. However, another Chinese pair, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, were unsuccessful, falling to Indonesia’s Raymond Indra and Nikolaus Joaquin 21-18, 21-12.
China’s women’s doubles teams also enjoyed success. The top-seeded duo of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning, along with the third-seeded pair of Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian, both secured their spots in the semifinals after winning their respective quarterfinal matches. This sets up an intriguing all-Chinese semifinal clash between the two teams.
The mixed doubles event saw a mixed bag of results for China. Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui fought through a three-game battle to defeat Indonesia’s Amri Syahnawi and Nita Violina Marwah 21-17, 18-21, 21-15, earning their place in the semifinals. Unfortunately, the second-seeded Chinese pair of Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin were defeated by France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue 21-16, 21-16.
The strong performance by Chinese players at the All England Open underscores the nation’s continued dominance in badminton. With both women’s singles semifinalists hailing from China, the tournament is poised for exciting matches as the competition progresses. For fans following the action, the semifinals promise a high level of skill and strategic play, particularly the anticipated showdown between Chen Yufei and An Se-young.
The semifinals will take place on Saturday, March 7th, at the Utilita Arena Birmingham. Fans can follow live updates and results on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) website. BWF Website
What’s Next: The All England Open semifinals will be the focus on Saturday, with the finals scheduled for Sunday, March 8th. The tournament continues to be a crucial stepping stone for players preparing for the upcoming international badminton season.
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