Rise of Popov brothers raises French hopes of historic medal
PETALING JAYA: Brothers Toma and Christo Popov's rise to the world's top 15 in the men's singles has raised French hopes of a historic medal in the World Championships from Aug 25-31 at home in Paris.
Christo and Toma have showed steady improvement this year, rising to No. 10 and No. 15 respectively in the latest world rankings, joining world No. 7 teammate Alex Lanier in the top 15.
Powerhouse China is the only other country to have three men's singles players in the world's top 15 - world No. 1 Shi Yuqi, world No. 4 Li Shifeng and Lu Guangzu (No. 11).
No French shuttler has ever won a medal in the world meet and Lanier and the Popov brothers will be keen to end the long wait in front of their fans at the Adidas Arena in Port de la Chapelle.
Among the three, fast rising youngster Lanier could have the best chance.
The 20-year-old created history by becoming the first French player to capture a World Tour Super 750 title when he won the Japan Open last year.
Lanier then did well to reach the final again this year before going down to Yuqi.
He also proved his ability when he captured the Orleans Masters title and reached the All-England semi-finals in March.
Lanier then won gold in the European Championships, beating Toma in an all-French final.
The player has already declared his intentions to win the world title.
Meanwhile, Christo caught the eye when he finished runner-up to China's Weng Hongyang in the Swiss Open.
The 23-year-old also did well to reach the semi-finals of the Japan Open and Singapore Open.
Christo has captured two World Tour titles so far in his career - the Super 300 German Open and Hylo Open last year.
Toma's best performance in the World Tour this year came in the German Open where he made it to the semi-finals.
Christo and Toma will also be competing in Paris together in the men's doubles and will be out to impress in the event too.
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New Straits Times
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Danger from France's 'Three Musketeers"
KUALA LUMPUR: Watch out for France's "Three Musketeers" at the Paris World Championships from Aug 25–31. Alex Lanier, Christo, and Toma Junior Popov may not be title contenders, but they are still dangerous enough to cause upsets. Badminton legend Datuk Rashid Sidek feels that the French shuttlers are not to be trifled with, especially when they are playing at home. China's world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi and Denmark's world No. 2 Anders Antonsen will be among the favourites to land the men's singles crown. However, Rashid warned that the Frenchmen are capable of using home ground advantage to turn giantkillers in Paris. World No. 7 Lanier, just 20, is already the youngest European champion and has won the Orleans Masters and finished runner-up at the Japan Open this year. The Popov brothers — world No. 10 Christo and world No. 15 Toma Junior — have also been regularly reaching the quarter-finals and beyond on the World Tour this season. "The quality of the men's singles field is very high. Although Yu Qi looks to be the favourite on paper, the French shuttlers are going to be the spoilers in Paris," said Rashid. "They have already beaten some top names, and every top 10 shuttler will be worried about playing them. "They may not go all the way to win the crown, but they are capable of upsetting a few top contenders." Lanier proved that his 2024 title win at the Japan Open was no fluke by reaching the final again, only to be denied by Yu Qi. Taiwan veteran and world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen is another player Rashid expects to trouble the title contenders in Paris. Tien Chen, 35, downed reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in straight games to reach the last four of the China Open two weeks ago. He also upstaged Kunlavut en route to the Indonesia Open final in June. "We cannot underestimate Tien Chen, who is also a dark horse in Paris. He has beaten Kunlavut twice and has the ability to beat any top player. "I don't fancy them winning the title, but the French shuttlers and Tien Chen can end the dreams of many at the World Championships," added Rashid.
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The Star
9 hours ago
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Rise of Popov brothers raises French hopes of historic medal
France men's singles shuttler Toma Junior Popov in action against India's Srikanth Kidambi in the quarter-final match of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil on Friday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: Brothers Toma and Christo Popov's rise to the world's top 15 in the men's singles has raised French hopes of a historic medal in the World Championships from Aug 25-31 at home in Paris. Christo and Toma have showed steady improvement this year, rising to No. 10 and No. 15 respectively in the latest world rankings, joining world No. 7 teammate Alex Lanier in the top 15. Powerhouse China is the only other country to have three men's singles players in the world's top 15 - world No. 1 Shi Yuqi, world No. 4 Li Shifeng and Lu Guangzu (No. 11). No French shuttler has ever won a medal in the world meet and Lanier and the Popov brothers will be keen to end the long wait in front of their fans at the Adidas Arena in Port de la Chapelle. Among the three, fast rising youngster Lanier could have the best chance. The 20-year-old created history by becoming the first French player to capture a World Tour Super 750 title when he won the Japan Open last year. Lanier then did well to reach the final again this year before going down to Yuqi. He also proved his ability when he captured the Orleans Masters title and reached the All-England semi-finals in March. Lanier then won gold in the European Championships, beating Toma in an all-French final. The player has already declared his intentions to win the world title. Meanwhile, Christo caught the eye when he finished runner-up to China's Weng Hongyang in the Swiss Open. The 23-year-old also did well to reach the semi-finals of the Japan Open and Singapore Open. Christo has captured two World Tour titles so far in his career - the Super 300 German Open and Hylo Open last year. Toma's best performance in the World Tour this year came in the German Open where he made it to the semi-finals. Christo and Toma will also be competing in Paris together in the men's doubles and will be out to impress in the event too.
