Tough qualifiers for the two favourites

In an all-Chinese duel, WANG Zhi Yi (No. 2) and HAN Yue (No. 4) faced each other for the 16th time in their young careers, with a clear psychological advantage for the former, who has already won 12 of their encounters. While WANG Zhi Yi had not lost a single set in the competition, HAN Yue had to fight hard the day before (23/21 in the third set) against Japan's Tomoka MIYAZAKI (No. 8). 

WANG Zhi Yi took control of the match. More aggressive and more precise, she dictated the rallies and was never troubled by her compatriot. Poor HAN Yue, still tired from her match the day before, was unable to contain her opponent's attacks. Physical fitness played a crucial role in this match, and WANG Zhi Yi knew it. Patiently, she builds long rallies, pushing HAN Yue to her limits. The world number two easily won the first set 21-14. But perhaps overconfident, she began to make costly mistakes in the second set, gifting points to her opponent, who regained her confidence and finally managed to turn the tide, winning 22-20. But too physically exhausted, HAN Yue was unable to keep up the pace in the final set. More consistent and precise, WANG Zhi Yi quickly gained the upper hand over her compatriot and qualified for the final (21-14, 20-22, 21-14). 

The second semi-final of the women's singles draw is an Olympic duel! AN Se Young (No. 1, South Korea), reigning Olympic champion and hot favourite to retain her title at the Yonex IFB, faces CHEN Yu Fei (No. 5, China), Olympic champion in Tokyo in 2020 and winner of the French Open in Cesson-Sévigné in 2023. The two players know each other perfectly, having already faced each other 28 times, with the Chinese player holding a narrow lead after winning their last encounter. That was also in a semi-final in France, during the World Championships in Paris, where the Chinese player, despite an injury, managed to knock out the world number one.  

Today, both players are on equal footing physically, as each had difficult three-set matches the day before. The two players trade blows, with neither really managing to pull ahead of the other. The rallies are long, as neither wants to take risks and give points to her opponent. It was not until the final moments that the set was decided, with AN Se Young taking the first set 23-21. Despite falling behind early in the second set, the Korean became increasingly accurate in her attacks and quickly caught up before finally taking the lead. But, tired, she began to struggle to keep up with the Chinese player, who increased the pace of the game. CHEN Yu Fei finally won the second set 21/18 after more than an hour of play and then took a narrow lead in the third (11/10 at the break). The entire crowd thought the Korean player was knocked out, but she miraculously managed to dig deep and turn the match around at the very end, finally qualifying for the final 23-21, 18-21, 21-16 after almost an hour and a half of marathon play. The two players, exhausted, collapsed to the ground to the cheers of the crowd.  

The rankings are therefore respected, and tomorrow's final will see the world number 1 and number 2 face off. While AN Se Young has already won the title several times, notably at the previous French Open in Paris in 2024, it would be a first for China's WANG Zhi Yi.