Photo from Christo Popov Facebook Page
Christo Popov is on the verge of becoming the first Frenchman to win the World Junior Badminton Championships.
If Popov manages to upstage favourite Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the final in Kazan, Russia tomorrow, he would also be only the second European since Viktor Axelsen in 2010 to win the title.
The 10th seed booked his place in the final with a 21-18, 21-13 upset of fourth seed Li Yun Ze of China.
Popov, however, has his work cut out in the final. Kunlavut is gunning for his third world junior title, having won the crown in 2017 and 2018.
The Thai top seed outclassed Indonesian Yonathan Ramlie 21-11, 21-10 in his semi-final.
While many may have not heard of Popov before this, the 17-year-old comes from a badminton family. His father father Thomas, was a former Bulgarian and French national player.
Brother Toma Junior Popov made history in 2017 when he clinched treble, the European Junior team. men’s singles and doubles title, joining an elite group that includes Peter Gade, Jim Laugesen and Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles: Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) bt Yonathan Ramlie (Ina) 21-11, 21-10; Christo Popov (Fra) bt Li Yun Ze (Chn) 21-18, 21-13
Men’s doubles: Di Zi Jian-Wang Chang (Chn) bt Takuma Kawamoto-Tsubasa Kawamura (Jpn) 21-11, 21-8
Women’s singles: Riko Gunji (Jpn) bt Phittayaporn Chaiwan (Tha) 21-16, 21-19; Zhou Meng (Chn) bt Dai Wang (Chn) 21-16, 21-14
Women’s doubles: Febriani Dwipuji Kusuma-Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi (Ina) bt Li Yi Jing-Luo Xu Min (Chn) 21-17, 23-21
Mixed doubles: Leo Rolly Carnando-Indah Cahya Sari Jamil (Ina) bt Jiang Zhen Bang-Li Yi Jing (Chn) 23-21, 12-21, 21-19; Feng Yan Zhe-Lin Fang Ling (Chn) bt Ratchapol Makkasasithorn-Benyapa Aimsaard (Tha) 21-17, 23-21
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