PETALING JAYA: French badminton is enjoying a renaissance, with three men’s singles players currently ranked in the world's top 15.
And two of them – world No. 3 Christo Popov and world No. 5 Alex Lanier – marched into the French Open semi-finals at the Grand Arena Paris on Friday (Oct 23), raising hopes of an all-French final.
It has been 80 years since a homegrown player last won the French Open, with Henri Pellizza's triumph in 1946 remaining the last victory in the men's singles event.
In Paris, Christo defeated Japan's Kodai Naraoka 21-15, 21-16 to set up a semi-final showdown against former world junior champion Hu Zhean of China.
Zhean had earlier stunned Indonesia's Alwi Farhan 21-19, 21-12 in another quarter-final match.
Lanier, meanwhile, came from behind to beat compatriot Toma Junior Popov 16-21, 21-6, 21-16 and will take on Indonesia's Moh Zaki Ubaidillah for a place in the final.
Toma had earlier sent reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand packing in the opening round.
Christo will be hoping to repeat his historic run from last year, when he became the first French men's singles player to reach the final in the modern era.
French badminton has been making significant strides on the international stage.
Last year, Christo captured the World Tour Finals title, while Lanier became the nation's first-ever men's singles world champion in August.
Toma also made history in July when he became the first Frenchman to reach the semi-finals of a Super 1000 tournament at the China Open.
With several big names, including defending champion Anders Antonsen of Denmark and Vitidsarn, making early exits, the stage is set for the French contingent to create history on home soil.
