Toma Junior Popov
Toma Junior Popov of France delivered the standout result of the opening round at the French Badminton Open, stunning top seed Thai Kunlavut Vitidsarn 9-21 21-14 21-15 in their fifth career meeting.
When the draw was released, Popov’s immediate reaction was simple.
“Again,” was Popov’s first thought when he saw the draw. It was not the first time they had met in the opening round that year, but the prospect did not faze him.
“I thought, ‘Fine, no problem. I’ll go for it.’ I had the home crowd. It wasn’t an easy draw. I have nothing to lose and it’s at home, so I just have to enjoy it.’”
The Frenchman arrived in Paris with an extra source of motivation after an underwhelming performance at last week’s Denmark Open.
“I wanted my revenge from last week. I didn’t play so well. It was a bit of a below-par performance at the Denmark Open, so I wanted to come back and show my level, especially at home.”
Vitidsarn took control early, capitalising on both the conditions and Popov’s errors to claim the opening game. The home favourite admitted he struggled to cope with the Thai’s pressure.
“I had a bit of bad luck. My side was a little slower, so when he pushed the shuttles, they slowed down at the back of the court. He pushed me a lot and I couldn’t make the most of it. I also made a lot of easy mistakes. I gave him a lot of opportunities and confidence in the first game, which opened up the court for him.”
Backed by a vocal Paris crowd, Popov found a way back into the contest and never looked back.
“He pushed me a lot and brought me back into the game. When I looked at him, it was thinking, ‘Good, you’re helping me.’”
The victory marked the first time Popov had beaten the world No.1 officially since 2021, but he was quick to keep the achievement in perspective.
“It gives me a lot of confidence, but it’s only one win. I’ll have to prove myself in the next round and keep doing so. It’s good to win against the world No.1.”
Vitidsarn was gracious in defeat, praising Popov’s all-round game while admitting fatigue took its toll as the match wore on.
“He can play any style in the game.”
The Asian Games champion acknowledged his energy levels dropped significantly during the final two games.
“I’m very tired,” he said, describing it as a “very, very good match” while conceding his performance was “not good enough to win today.”
Playing men’s doubles later in the day with younger brother Christo Popov, the pair defeated fight seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty 21-19 18-21 21-13.
