TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's rising badminton talent Wang Tzu-wei (王子維) secured an unexpected quarterfinal berth at the prestigious BWF Super 750 DAIHATSU Japan Open 2025 Thursday (July 17) when his opponent withdrew mid-match due to injury. Wang, who entered the tournament as an underdog, initially struggled against China's fifth-ranked Li Shi-feng (李詩灃) in their round of 16 men's singles clash. After dropping the opening game, Wang found himself the beneficiary of Li's unfortunate retirement during the second game when the Chinese star could no longer continue due to physical distress.
The victory marked a significant moment for Wang, who entered the contest as the world's 26th-ranked player with a historically unfavorable 2-4 head-to-head record against his Chinese rival. Wang had shown his potential against Li earlier this year, claiming a confidence-boosting straight-set win at January's Indonesia Masters. The opening game Thursday initially favored the Taiwanese shuttler, who built early leads of 6-2 and 9-7. Li mounted a formidable comeback with five unanswered points to seize control of the game. Wang managed to equalize at 17-17 before unforced errors ultimately cost him the opener 17-21.
Signs of Li's physical discomfort became evident early in the second game as the Chinese player's movement appeared increasingly restricted across the court. Wang seized the opportunity, methodically building his advantage from an initial 5-2 lead to a commanding 11-3 margin at the mid-game interval, after which Li conceded the match. Wang's quarterfinal opponent will be another Chinese challenger, world number three Shi Yu-qi (石宇奇). In other tournament action, Taiwan's veteran competitor Chou Tien-chen (周天成) saw his Japan Open campaign end following a grueling 89-minute contest against home favorite Watanabe Koki, with the Japanese player prevailing 21-16, 22-24, 17-21 in a three-game thriller.
Taiwan's contingent suffered another setback when Lin Chun-yi (林俊易), renowned for his devastating left-handed attacking style, exited the tournament after a straight-games defeat to China's emerging talent Weng Hong-yang (翁泓陽). The Taiwanese southpaw struggled to find his rhythm throughout the match, surrendering the first game 13-21 before mounting a more competitive challenge in the second, ultimately falling short at 19-21 despite a late surge. ◼