[Saba Sports News] The VICTOR China Open has officially kicked off. On the opening day of the men’s singles main draw, top-ranked Shi Yuqi stepped onto the court to take on Singapore’s star shuttler Teh Jia Heng Jason. Born in 2000, Teh is currently ranked 29th in the world. There is a clear gap between his overall standard and the elite men’s singles players on the tour, a fact reflected in his results this season. Ahead of his clash with Shi Yuqi, Teh had contested 25 international fixtures, registering only 10 wins against 15 losses for a win rate of just 40%. His best career result is a men’s singles title at the low-tier Polish Open; he has never advanced to the semi-finals at any higher-level World Tour event. Shi Yuqi knows Teh well, having crossed paths with him twice at previous global tournaments, winning both encounters in dominant fashion. Their most recent meeting came at last season’s Singapore Open, where Shi wrapped up victory in just 42 minutes — a key reason fans tipped him to triumph on home soil ahead of this match. In this tie, Shi Yuqi collapsed late in the opening game, gifting the opening frame to his opponent. However, after Teh surged into an early lead in the second game, the Singaporean retired through injury. China’s top men’s singles shuttler thus claimed a walkover and safely progressed to the men’s singles Round of 16.
In the next round, Shi Yuqi will face the winner between Japan’s Koki Watanabe and Thailand’s Panitchaphon TEERARATSAKUL. Whichever opponent he meets, it will be a tough contest. Fans expect Shi Yuqi to deliver an improved performance and strive to claim the men’s singles title on home soil.