BWF World Championships 2025: Akane Yamaguchi becomes joint-most successful WS player, Shi Yuqi lifts maiden title

Malaysian mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei also scripted history.

Shi Yu Qi completed his epic first summit of the BWF World Championships after willing his weary body and mind to a fourth three-game victory in four days.

Having beaten Christo Popov, Weng Hong Yang and Victor Lai in three games on previous days, Shi’s ability to last another long match against the steady Kunlavut Vitidsarn was under test.

Yesterday, after surviving two match points against Lai, the top seed looked far too gone physically, for he was breathing heavily long after the match was done.

And when defending champion Vitidsarn stole the first game from his grasp with immaculate net play, Shi’s chances didn’t appear very bright.

Also Read: BWF World Championships: Full list of title winners

Yet, the top seed showed great reserves of physical and mental toughness as he started to make the play, using his pinpoint smashes from the deep to crack Vitidsarn’s defences.

Even a flurry of errors early in the third game couldn’t deflate him, and despite a late charge from Vitidsarn, Shi continued to push the pace and complete his conquest of his first world title.

Shi’s was the second title of the day for China, after Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning had outplayed gritty Malaysians Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan in three games.

China were in the hunt for all five titles, but things went awry for them in the mixed doubles, with Chen Tang Jie/Toh Ee Wei turning on a high-energy performance against Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin.

In just 40 minutes Chen and Toh had made history as the first Malaysians to win the mixed doubles world title.

Also Read: Malaysia’s Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei dedicate historic BWF World Championships medal to nation on ‘Merdeka Day’

Then it was two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi against 2020 Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei. Yamaguchi’s season has seen her some way below her best, for her last title had come at the Kumamoto Masters last November.

Except for the first game, however, Chen couldn’t challenge Yamaguchi, affected perhaps by an ankle injury she’d picked up in her semi-final against An Se Young. Yamaguchi had her third world title in 49 minutes – climbing alongside Carolina Marin as the most successful women’s singles champion.

Second Title for Seo Seung Jae

The only one to defend his title was Seo Seung Jae, whose 2023 title had come with a different partner. Seo and Kim Won Ho have been nearly unstoppable this season, but few could have anticipated the manner of their demolition of Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi.

The Koreans trailed at the beginning, but from 13-17 they ran away with eight straight points to take the first game, and steamrolled their opponents in the second, winning Korea’s sixth men’s doubles title, 21-17 21-12.

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