[Saba Sports News] Recently, a stunning upset, arguably the biggest of the tournament so far, unfolded in the women’s singles quarter-finals of the 2026 Japan Badminton Open. Wang Zhiyi, the No.2 seed and world No.2 from China, was overturned 1-2 by Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani, whom she had beaten seven times in a row in previous encounters, exiting the competition at the quarter-final stage with disappointment. As the linchpin of China’s women’s singles squad for the new Olympic cycle, Wang Zhiyi had delivered remarkably consistent performances leading up to this Japan Open. Just one month ago at the All England Open, she defeated world No.1 An Se-young of South Korea in straight sets, snapping the Korean star’s cross-season winning streak of 36 matches. This triumph not only earned Wang her maiden All England women’s singles title, but also brought the coveted crown back to China’s women’s singles team after a seven-year drought. Upon arriving in Tokyo, nearly all pundits and fans believed Wang would comfortably navigate the quarter-final hurdle. What’s more, standing across the net was Wardani, an opponent she had never lost to before.
The editor believes that the charm and cruelty of competitive sports often lie in these seemingly one-sided encounters. Facing Wang Zhiyi, her long-time conqueror once again, Putri Kusuma Wardani clearly came fully prepared and stepped onto the court determined to break her losing curse. In the deciding game, Wang Zhiyi only managed a mere four points, while Wardani sealed the victory with a lopsided score of 21-4.