Skilful: South Korea’s Heo Kwang-hee and China’s Li Shifeng (below) make heads turn with their impressive play during the Thomas Cup Finals. — AFP/AP
PETALING JAYA: The emergence of lower-ranked shuttlers such as China’s Li Shifeng and South Korea’s Heo Kwang-hee may spell trouble for the world’s top 10 players including Lee Zii Jia.
World No. 33 Kwang-hee and No. 65 Shifeng were among those who stood out at the just-concluded Thomas Cup Finals in Aarhus, Denmark.The 21-year-old Shifeng, who is the 2018 Youth Olympics Games gold medallist, appeared to have come of age.Playing in second singles in Denmark, he won five of his six matches including notable victories over Thailand’s world No. 23 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the quarter-finals and Japan’s world No. 13 Kanta Tsuneyama in the last four to help the youthful Chinese side reach the final.
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