PETALING JAYA: China’s Shi Yuqi will be the missing star in the men’s singles cast at the Denmark Open in Odense.
The world No. 1 Yuqi, who lost in the second round of his recent home tournament, has withdrawn from the competition starting on Tuesday.
In the absence of the most senior player, China will be banking on four others - Li Shifeng (seventh seed), Weng Hongyang, Lu Guangzu and Lei Lanxi to mount the challenge.
Home star and world No. 2 Viktor Axelsen is the top seed and barring any upset, he may meet Alex Lanier of France in the second round. Lanier has been going great guns since winning the Japan Open title.
The other seeded players in Axelsen’s half are Japan’s Kodai Naraoka (fifth), Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie (fourth), and Kunlavut Vitidsard of Thailand (sixth). Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao is unfortunate as he will play Jonatan in the first round.
In the lower half, Anders Antonsen of Denmark is the second seed and others in his half are Lee Zii Jia (third), Anthony Ginting of Indonesia (eighth) and Shifeng (seventh).
Zii Jia has a tricky first-round meeting against Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto. If all goes well, he is expected to clash against Anthony in the last eight.
