Thailand’s rising badminton star Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul has stormed into the Malaysia Masters final after a massive upset. The world No. 28 defeated France’s world No. 4 Christo Popov in straight games, 21-13, 21-13, at the Unifi Arena.

This marks the 21-year-old’s third final appearance of the year. He is fiercely determined to break his finals jinx, having previously finished as runner-up at both the Indonesia Masters and Thailand Masters in January.

Following the defeat, Popov gracefully acknowledged his opponent’s superior form. The French player admitted his conditioning was lacking after a grueling Thomas Cup campaign and praised Panitchaphon for a well-deserved victory.

Panitchaphon will now face China’s world No. 7 Li Shi Feng in the men’s singles title clash. Li secured his spot in the final by eliminating his compatriot, world No. 69 Hu Zhe An, in a competitive 21-17, 21-16 match.

Heading into the final, the Thai underdog admitted to feeling slightly unwell and not at his physical peak. However, he is choosing to step onto the court without heavy expectations, viewing the match against the formidable Li as a valuable learning experience.

Meanwhile, the women’s singles final will feature another blockbuster clash between China and Thailand. World No. 4 Chen Yu Fei is set to battle world No. 7 Ratchanok Intanon for the championship crown.

Both female contenders displayed sheer dominance in their respective semi-finals. Chen comfortably dispatched Japan’s Hina Akechi 21-11, 21-14, while Ratchanok swept Denmark’s Line Kjaersfeldt 21-12, 21-12.

Stay tuned to o9news for the ultimate crowning moments of the Malaysia Masters!