Defending champion Jonatan Christie continued his confident march in the men’s singles competition at the Bank of Ningbo Badminton Asia Championships 2025, booking a spot in the quarterfinals with a commanding 21-13, 21-19 victory over Malaysia’s rising star Justin Hoh.
The second-seeded Indonesian took just 46 minutes to wrap up the win and will next face China’s Lu Guang Zu in what promises to be a closely contested quarterfinal on Friday.
“I’m feeling better than I was yesterday,” said Christie after the match. “I’m happy with my performance and will stay focused — one match at a time.”
World No.1 and top seed Shi Yu Qi kept Chinese hopes high with another sharp display, dismissing Japan’s Yushi Tanaka 21-16, 21-12 in front of a passionate home crowd at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center.
Shi, bidding to become the first Chinese men’s singles champion at the continental meet since 2017, now faces Singapore’s eighth seed and former world champion Loh Kean Yew.
Third seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, however, was made to work hard for his place in the last eight. After losing the opening game, the former world junior champion dug deep to overcome India’s Kiran George 19-21, 21-13, 21-16 in a gritty 76-minute battle.
Japan’s Kodai Naraoka delivered a composed performance to defeat India’s Priyanshu Rajawat 21-14, 21-17 and set up an enticing quarterfinal showdown with China’s fourth seed Li Shi Feng, who edged past Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen 21-16, 21-19.
“The opponent was very strong today,” said Li. “Even though I’d beaten him before, it wasn’t easy. I prepared more thoroughly this time because his ability is unquestionable.”
Meanwhile, Lu Guang Zu pulled off one of the most hard-fought wins of the day, rallying from a game down to upset seventh seed Lin Chun-Yi 16-21, 21-15, 21-18. The Chinese shuttler, buoyed by his recent training progress, said: “This shows I’ve made strides. I know it only gets tougher from here.”
Unseeded Kenta Nishimoto of Japan also made his presence felt, brushing past Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan 21-14, 21-16 to reach the last eight. He will take on Kunlavut in tomorrow’s quarterfinals.
Loh Kean Yew rounded off the day’s action with a confident 21-15, 21-17 win over Lee Chia Hao of Chinese Taipei.
Men’s Singles Quarterfinal Line-up – 11 April
• (1) Shi Yu Qi vs (8) Loh Kean Yew
• (3) Kunlavut Vitidsarn vs Kenta Nishimoto
• (5) Kodai Naraoka vs (4) Li Shi Feng
• Lu Guang Zu vs (2) Jonatan Christie
