French badminton players Julien Maio and William Villeger bowed out in the men’s double semifinals at the Finland Open on Saturday, October 10, 2026, dropping a three-set decision to Taiwan’s Lai Po-Yu and Tsai Fu-Cheng with scores of 21-15, 19-21, 21-13. The tournament concluded a historic run for the French duo at the Energia Areena in Vantaa, where they reached their first-ever Super 500 semifinal round. Vice-champion du monde par équipes avec les Bleus, William Villeger is 25 years old and plays in Fos-sur-Mer, where he trains alongside the Popov brothers. His partner Julien Maïo is 32 years old and licensed in Issy-les-Moulineaux. Before reaching the semifinals, the two players had already made an impression during the week by eliminating another seeded pair.
Semifinal Defeat Against Taiwan’s Lai and Tsai
Entering the match as world No. 56, Maio and Villeger pushed their lower-ranked opponents to a deciding third set before falling short in the final stages. Lai and Tsai, ranked No. 60 globally, capitalized on crucial rallies in the third game to secure the 21-15, 19-21, 21-13 victory. The defeat halts the French charge just short of the championship match in Finland, denying the pair their maiden appearance in a BWF World Tour Super 500 final.
Quarterfinal Upset Over Japan’s Hoki and Kobayashi
Maio and Villeger engineered a major breakthrough in the quarterfinals by eliminating Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi in straight sets, 21-13, 21-13, in just 31 minutes. Hoki and Kobayashi entered the tournament as the No. 2 seeds and sat at No. 9 in the world rankings. That victory marked the biggest win of the French pair’s joint campaign, launching them into their first career Super 500 final four.
Rankings Boost and National Context in World Badminton
Despite Saturday’s loss, the deep run in Finland yields immediate dividends for the French partnership. According to tournament reports, the semifinal performance guarantees Maio and Villeger a jump of nine places in the official global rankings, pushing them inside the top 50 when the new BWF list is published.
Elsewhere in the tournament draw, fellow French contender Christo Popov exited in the quarterfinals after a straight-sets defeat to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia (21-11, 21-16), while Toma Junior Popov also fell before the semifinal round. With Maio and Villeger’s elimination, France has no remaining representatives left in the Finnish competition.
Next Scheduled Competition at the Denmark Open
Following their departure from Vantaa, Maio, Villeger, and the wider contingent of French players transition directly to the upcoming BWF schedule. The players turn their attention toward the Denmark Open, a Super 750 event scheduled to begin the following week.
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