The 23-year-old, 8e in the world rankings, achieved a double feat since he beat Chinese No.1 Shi Yu Qi in two sets 21-19, 21-9.
The day before, he had already become the first Frenchman to reach the final of this last competition of the season, bringing together the best players of the year and in which he was also participating for the first time.
“Day after day, it was complicated”
“If someone had told me last week before leaving that I was going to win, it would have seemed improbable to me,” he declared for the French Badminton Federation.
In Hangzhou, he had a perfect run, with 100% victories including successes against the Dane Anders Antonsen and the Thai Kunlavut Vitidsarn, third and second in the world respectively. All he was missing was N.1.
“Day after day it was complicated, it took a lot of mental and physical energy. I am happy to have been able to make this a reality, in China moreover, which is a bit like one of the badminton countries,” he added.
And the seven places difference in the ranking of the “BWF” circuit, the international badminton circuit, was not really seen, as the native of Sofia, Bulgaria, was able to impose his game in front of the Chinese who was nevertheless formidable this year.
Crowned world champion in Paris last summer, Shi Yu Qi has also won several major tournaments, such as the China, England and Malaysia Open, all belonging to the Super 1000 category, the highest level of the circuit.
But after holding on to win the first round, Popov definitely made his opponent of the day flinch by taking off to win one of the greatest titles of his career, at 23 years old.
Little brother of another promising French badista, Toma Junior, Christo Popov has for several years been considered a great hope in his discipline, just like Alex Lanier, with whom he occupies the top 10 in the world.
