Lee Chia Hao ready to take on the role of challenger in men’s singles final
Lee Chia Hao cannot quite believe he is about to play a YONEX All England final.
The world number 22 has far surpassed his best performance at a Super 1000 tournament, reaching the final for the first time.
On Sunday, the Chinese Taipei player will take on former winner and the men’s singles top seed Shi Yu Qi of China and that is when a scarcely thinkable dream becomes a reality.
“Unbelievable,” he said after beating Alex Lanier in a decider in the semi-final. “I can’t believe I made it into the final.
“I feel really happy about the outcome and it feels good to be playing tomorrow. During the week and even now, I didn’t believe I could play in the final.
View this post on Instagram
“It would be unbelievable to win the title. I will try my best to have the honour to lift the trophy.”
Lee’s great strength in his 19-21 21-14 21-17 defeat of Lanier was his ability to restrict the Frenchman’s game from the end of the first game onwards.
He added: “In the first game I started slower than my opponent and he gave me some difficult shots to play.
“His strategy was good, and it limited my performance. Towards the end of the first game I got back into it, and I used my strategy to catch up a little bit in the points.
“Then towards the second and third game I was able to the way I had prepared for before this match.”
Patience to play his way will be vital against Shi Yu Qi, who has looked imperious on his march to a fourth final.
The 29-year-old came of age on the All England stage, twice beating Lin Dan in back-to-back years, claiming his maiden title in the second of those years.
View this post on Instagram
Since 2018, he has returned to the final another time, tasting defeat to Li Shi Feng in 2023, who he beat in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Lee, however, is about to enter uncharted territory with the 25-year-old’s solitary tournament win at a Super 100 event in 2024.
He added: “I think the most important thing is that I mentally overcome the challenges I set myself.
“There have been times during previous games that I wasn’t so stable on court. But this week I have been stronger on court mentally.
“Now, I will rest well and recharge to get back into my best form for tomorrow. I will play from the perspective of the challenger.
“I will forget about the result and I will try my best in tomorrow’s match.”
Last tickets available for the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships 2025. Book now to guarantee your seat to watch the world’s best badminton players compete! All England Open Badminton New | All England Badminton
Photo courtesy of Badmintonphoto
