French badminton players secured three semifinal spots at the Internationaux de France on Friday, October 23, highlighted by singles wins from Alex Lanier and Christo Popov alongside a milestone mixed doubles victory for Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel.
The successful day at the Arena Grand Paris in Tremblay-en-France featured only one domestic casualty when Alex Lanier eliminated compatriot Toma Junior Popov in a grueling three-set quarterfinal lasting one hour and 17 minutes.
Lanier Outlasts Toma Junior Popov in Hard-Fought Domestic Clash
Alex Lanier advanced to his first-ever Internationaux de France semifinal after overcoming Toma Junior Popov 16-21, 21-16, 21-16. Toma Junior Popov started strongly by taking the opening set and putting his younger opponent under pressure with powerful attacks. However, Lanier gradually wrested control of the rallies, raising his accuracy in the crucial moments of the second and third sets.
The decisive third set featured a tense 13-13 tie before Lanier pulled away. “Tomi played all his cards at a truly exceptional level. He pushed me far, very far, even further than I could imagine,” Lanier said after the match. He added that he questioned his chances during the contest: “There were moments when I clearly doubted, I felt really in danger.”
Despite the loss, Toma Junior Popov collected a positive takeaway following his upset win over world number one Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the previous round. “Today, I think I am finding my China Open level. This bodes well for the rest and the end of the year,” he assessed. Lanier advanced to face Indonesian player Mohammad Zaki Ubaidillah in Saturday’s semifinals.
Christo Popov Dominates Ninth-Ranked Naraoka
Christo Popov joined his compatriot in the final four by defeating Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, the world number nine, in straight sets (21-15, 21-16). The French player imposed his tempo from the start of each set against an opponent known for extending rallies.
Having reached the final at the tournament in 2025, Popov relied on precise attacking and composure during key sequences to prevent Naraoka from mounting a sustained comeback. Saturday brings a semifinal meeting with China’s Hu Zhe An, an opponent Popov has never previously faced on the circuit.
Delrue and Gicquel Reach First Home Semifinal
In mixed doubles, world champions Delphine Delrue and Thom Gicquel defeated Taiwan’s Wu Guan-Xun and Lee Chia-Hsin 21-23, 21-12, 21-14 to secure their first-ever semifinal appearance at the Internationaux de France, having fallen in the quarterfinals in three of the past four editions.
After dropping a tight opening set, the French pair dominated the next two games. Gicquel pointed to improved mental resilience as a decisive factor. “It’s a match we would have lost a few years ago, when there is stakes like that,” he said. The duo will face world number ones Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China on Saturday in a rematch of the August World Championships final.
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