At the Open de Finlande in Vantaa, French badminton players William Villeger and Julien Maïo pulled off a major upset on Friday by defeating second-seeded Japanese pair Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi in straight games, 21-13, 21-13, in just 31 minutes of play.
Defeating World-Class Favorites in Vantaa
Ranked 56th in the world in men’s doubles, William Villeger and Julien Maïo delivered a controlled performance from start to finish against Hoki and Kobayashi, who rank among the top pairs globally. The victory marks the first time in their careers that Villeger and Maïo have advanced to the semifinals of a BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament. It also earns the French duo a jump of nine spots in the world rankings, according to tournament reports.
The win builds on a strong week for the pair, who had already eliminated another seeded team earlier in the competition. For Villeger, a 25-year-old training in Fos-sur-Mer alongside the Popov brothers and a team vice-champion with France, combined with 32-year-old Issy-les-Moulineaux licensee Maïo, the result validates a growing partnership on the international circuit.
Semifinal Clash Against Lai and Tsai
Looking ahead to Saturday’s schedule, William Villeger and Julien Maïo will face the Taiwanese pair Lai and Tsai, who sit around the 60th spot in the world rankings. While paper rankings suggest a more manageable encounter than their quarterfinal battle against the second seeds, the French pair must sustain their level of play to secure a spot in the final. Reporting from La Provence notes that the run serves as a significant boost for the duo’s Olympic qualification ambitions in a competitive domestic landscape where the Popov brothers have traditionally set the standard in French doubles.
Christo Popov Exits in the Quarterfinals
While Villeger and Maïo advanced, the day proved more difficult for Christo Popov in the men’s singles draw. The French player fell to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in two games, 21-11, 21-16. Lee, a former world number two currently ranked 56th by the BWF, imposed a pace that kept Popov on the back foot throughout the match. The defeat ends Christo Popov’s singles run in Finland and closes off potential ranking milestones.
Both Christo and his brother Toma Junior Popov, who also exited before the semifinals, will now turn their focus toward the upcoming Denmark Open, a Super 750 event scheduled for the following week. With their elimination, William Villeger and Julien Maïo stand as the final French representatives remaining in the active draws in Finland.
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