Source:REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
[Saba Sports News] On the evening of December 13, the group stage’s third round of the 2024 BWF World Tour Finals concluded. The most anticipated match of this round was in men’s singles, featuring Li Shifeng against Lee Zii Jia. Lucky to have secured a spot in the Finals, Li Shifeng needed to fight hard in the last group match to have a chance of advancing. In the first game, Li Shifeng struggled at crucial points and ultimately lost 20-22. In the second game, while leading 13-4, Lee Zii Jia suffered an injury to his right foot when he landed after returning a high shot. Despite receiving treatment, his condition did not improve. After that, the injured Lee Zii Jia showed no form, allowing Li Shifeng to score continuously, raising hopes for a comeback. Realizing the dire situation, Lee Zii Jia opted to retire at 15-11. Just as Li Shifeng was on the brink of elimination, he was given another chance. Unfortunately, luck did not favor Li Shifeng in the end. According to BWF rules, when a player retires due to injury, all of their match results are reset to zero. Considering another match in the same group, Anders Antonsen won the first game but then played passively, eventually losing 1-2 to Chou Tien-Chen. Consequently, both Chou Tien-Chen and Li Shifeng ended with one win and one loss, but Chou Tien-Chen advanced to the semifinals due to a better point differential.