Sudirman Cup 2025: Defending champion China beats Japan to reach final

Defending champion China advanced to the final of badminton’s Sudirman Cup with a commanding 3-0 victory over Japan on Saturday, captivating the home crowd as it closes in on a record-extending 14th title.

China’s world number two mixed doubles pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping set the tone, beating Hiroki Midorikawa and Arisa Igarashi 21-11, 21-17 in the opener. Top seed Shi Yuqi then crushed eighth-ranked Kodai Naraoka 21-8, 21-16 in the men’s singles to hand China a 2-0 lead.

Japan showed resilience in the women’s singles, where Akane Yamaguchi, who had won 21 of her previous 33 encounters with Chen Yufei, pushed the Tokyo Games champion to three games but Chen held her nerve to prevail 17-21, 21-9, 21-16.

China, which has won the biennial mixed team championship 13 times, will meet either four-time champion South Korea or 1989 winner Indonesia in the final, with the two teams facing off in their semifinal clash later this evening.