Up next for Sindhu: Rising star Chen Yufei
August 26, 2017
Even as Chen Yufei made headlines by knocking out top seed Akane Yamagu Chi of Japan on Thursday and former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand on Friday, not many were surprised at these results.
Those who have followed the career of the 19-year-old reigning junior world champion know that she is rising fast to become the next superstar in the shuttle world.
In what can be described as a tough phase for Chinese badminton, Yufei offers them a hope with her amazing performances. With Sun Yu and He Binjiao losing in the earlier rounds, Yufei is the best bet for China at the Worlds now.
Yufei, who will play Sindhu in the semifinal on Saturday, has a 1-1 record against the Indian. While Sindhu beat Yufei at the Macau Open in 2015, the Chinese girl avenged that defeat by stunning the India at the Malaysian Open in January 2017.
Sindhu predicted a tough match against Yufei on Saturday. “She is a good player and is in good form here. It is not going to be easy. I just have to play my game and give my best tomorrow. It is never easy in the semifinal of a World Championship, anything can happen. I have to be prepared for everything,” Sindhu said.
Yufei is ranked 10th in the world and had won 19 of the 29 matches she has played this year. She has a career win-loss record of 102-37. Sindhu is ranked No. 4 in the world and has a career win-loss record of 223-98. This year, her win-loss record is 21-9.
