And one, and two, and three wins! The young Frenchman Christo Popov, who celebrated his 22nd birthday last week, performs at the Super 1000 in Birmingham. This Friday, the youngest of the “Popov brothers” avenged Tomi.
Koki Watanabe, who fell to the elder in the round of 16, could not resist the second Popov. The Japanese (n°20) could do nothing against an imperial Christo Popov (n°24). In the quarter-finals, the Frenchman flew through the second set to win in two sets dominated head and shoulders, 21-17, 21-10.
“I’m super happy to have won this match. It wasn’t the most physical match I’ve had but there was a lot at stake, you had to be concentrated and have a lot of consistency. It preserves my legs and it’s a very good thing for tomorrow. I’m very happy to be in the semi-final, it’s historic for me but also for France.”
A victory which opens the doors to the last four of one of the four biggest tournaments in the world. After his title in Germany (Super 300), the Fosséen strikes a big blow in the race for Olympic qualification.
In the semi-final, the Frenchman will face Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (n°5, Indonesia), who defeated Viktor Axelsen (n°1, Denmark) in the previous round (21-8, 21-17). The Frenchman will have a real chance to play since he has already won against the Indonesian in two confrontations.