BWF Japan Open 2026: World No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn denied semi-final spot by Japan's Tanaka Yushi
The 2023 men's world champion bows out in Tokyo after being taken to the distance by the unheralded home crowd favourite.
Kunlavut Vitidsarn refused to use his previous back injury as an excuse after losing to Tanaka Yushi in three games at the Japan Open quarter-finals on Friday (17 July),
Badminton's world No. 2 was stunned by the home hero in what is his penultimate tournament before next month’s world championships.
The 2023 men’s world champion from Thailand took the first set but allowed Tanaka to snatch the next two and the match 20-22, 21-16, 21-18. It was Vitidsarn’s first career defeat to the 22nd-ranked Japanese player.
A day earlier, Vitidsarn had eased to victory against Singapore’s Jia Heng Jason Teh in straight sets.
“Everything’s OK, 100 per cent,” Vitidsarn said of his back, which forced him to retire at the last two competitions.
“I think today is a great credit to my opponent. Yushi was better than me in everything in the court - attacking in the front, he covered the court, everything.”
Even the opening set Tanaka dropped, he had game point saved by Vitidsarn before the second seed went on to go up 1-0. Tanaka was largely in control and led for most of the last two games.
“I never gave in and believed in myself until the very end,” the 26-year-old Tanaka said. “He doesn’t have many holes in his game but I managed to capitalise on the opportunities when they came around. Technically, he’s superior so I just made sure not to get outrun by him.”
Next week, Vitidsarn heads to the China Open in Jiangsu before tackling the 17-23 August world championships in New Delhi. Vitidsarn said he felt indifferent about where his game stands a month away from worlds.
“I just came back (from injury). Not happy, not sad. Hopefully I can try everything next week because it’s the last match before the world champs,” Vitidsarn said.
“So so, not so happy. I think before I got injured I was playing better. But now I feel a bit of pressure.”
Elsewhere, women's No. 2-seeded Wang Zhiyi was toppled by Indonesia's Putri Kusuam Wardani while the remaining top seeds - defending world champion Yamaguchi Akane and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Chen Yufei progressed.
PV Sindhu received a free pass to the last four after Japan’s Okuhara Nozomi withdrew because of injury.
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