Toma Junior Popov reached the singles quarterfinals at the Japan Masters 2026 on Friday, November 13, before falling to Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn in straight games, Équipe-France reported.
The seventh-seeded Frenchman kept pace during the opening game of his quarterfinal clash against the second-seeded Vitidsarn before dropping it 18-21. The second game proved much more difficult as the Thai opponent pulled away 21-7 to seal the victory in 44 minutes.
The loss prevented Popov from replicating his victory over Vitidsarn from the opening round of the French Open in October. His run in Kumamoto nonetheless stands as the main point positif côté français.
Popov opened his campaign on Wednesday, November 11, by defeating Su Li Yang of Chinese Taipei 21-15, 21-11 in the round of 32. He followed up on Thursday by eliminating another representative from Chinese Taipei, Wang Po-Wei, taking the first set 21-9 before closing out a closer second set 21-18. Those two straight-game victories allowed the elder Popov brother to advance to the final eight without dropping a single game.
Christo Popov opened his tournament Wednesday by defeating Japanese qualifier Minoru Koga 21-14, 21-14 in the round of 32. The first-seeded French player then fell to Indonesia’s Moh. Zaki Ubaidillah 15-21, 19-21 in the round of sixteen on Thursday. According to an account published by the Indonesian Badminton Federation, Christo held an 18-14 lead in the second game before his opponent mounted a comeback to close out the match.
In the men’s doubles draw, Christo and Toma Junior Popov faced top-seeded South Koreans Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae in their opening match on Wednesday. The French pair fell 11-21, 17-21, exiting the competition in the round of 32. The brothers were the sole French competitors entered in the Kumamoto tournament.
The Japan Masters 2026 continues through Sunday, November 15, following the conclusion of the Popov brothers’ matches.
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