POPOV avenges POPOV

On Thursday, Christo POPOV (No. 8, France) defeated LEE Chia Hao (No. 21, Taipei) in the round of 16 at the Yonex IFB 2025. The French won the match 21-14, 21-16 against an opponent who had eliminated his brother in the first round. The Fosséen player now advances to the quarter-finals.

One POPOV can hide another... That's what LEE Chia Hao discovered at the Yonex French Open 2025 when he faced Christo POPOV two days after eliminating Toma Junior POPOV.

A few errors at the start of the first set gave the Taipei player a slight advantage. But Christo quickly regained the upper hand (6-5) and even took a 9-point lead! Spurred on by the crowd at the Glaz Arena, the French won the first set 21-14.

In the second set, impressive rallies provided entertainment at the Glaz Arena. POPOV showed patience, notably with some fine defence, but it wasn't enough to pull away (8-8). A lapse in concentration on the French side allowed LEE Chia Hao to take a slight advantage and lead 12-8. Ultimately, Christo's determination to win enabled him to quickly reverse the trend and regain the lead at 14-13. He then pulled away to win 21-16.

Calmly, Christo reflects on the match: "I've always beaten this opponent. So obviously that's a big positive. I'm playing at home, so there's no stress, just motivation. Even when I'm behind in the score, I still have that energy. So that helps a lot."

As the Frenchman explains, the two players know each other well and have faced each other several times before. Christo POPOV took full advantage of this situation: ‘I approached the match quite calmly and was able to play my normal badminton. I know I can cause him a lot of trouble and win this match.’

Christo POPOV will now face another Taipei player, CHI Yu Jen (No. 28), whom he has never played before, in the quarter-finals of the Yonex French Open 2025.