Brian Yang bagged his first ever win over a top five player by beating world No.3 Li Shi Feng 21-18 14-21 23-21 at the DAIHATSU Indonesia Masters 2024.

“I’m exhausted,” said Yang after an 84-minute match. “That was really long, the hall is slow and you definitely need strong stamina to win matches like this.”

Yang held five match points against the All England champion but the Chinese caught up.

“I’m happy to win in the end. I had a lot of leads and blew them most of the time. The different ends played a big part in adapting to the conditions and nerves too,” said the Canadian.

“It was a combination of not wanting to take big risks, not get too excited and waiting for Li to lose the point. The key was to be patient and consistent.”

Yang plays Priyanshu Rajawat next after the Indian defeated Rasmus Gemke 21-18 21-19.

‘Just Do It’

Mixed doubles fourth seeds Kim Won Ho/Jeong Na Eun survived a scare against qualifiers Choong Hon Jian/Go Pei Kee, completing a turnaround after being a match point down in the second game.

“The shuttles were coming at us so fast we didn’t have time to think. We just had to do it and go for every single shot. The second game felt like a final. The crowd was going wild and we both wanted to win. Our coach kept telling us to attack and that worked,” said Kim.

“Choong is lefthanded so that was interesting to play against and Go has good front court coverage. They are a pair to watch,” added Jeong.

→ Results (Day 2)

→ Order of play (Day 3)

WHAT OTHERS SAID:

“The crowd was cheering for him, it was distracting at times but I had to keep my focus. ‘Keep the shuttle in’ is what I repeatedly told myself. I went into the match confident I could win. I didn’t care who was on the other side. I wanted to win.” – Lu Guang Zu after ousting defending champion Jonatan Christie

“In the first game, I wasn’t able to get into my rhythm. Srikanth was in control until about 14-18 and that’s the moment I started to overcome it and chase down the points. In the second, I took control.” – Lee Zii Jia after beating Srikanth Kidambi 19-21 21-14 21-11

“That was a whole lot of fun. I loved every second of it. I’m feeling great and can’t wait to get back on court.” – Anthony Sinisuka Ginting after a 21-13 21-15 win over Kantaphon Wangcharoen

“American badminton is certainly on the rise. A few years ago there were just four players and now we are at around 10. For LA 2028 (Olympic Games), you’ll see more pushing through. From playing tournaments of this level I’ve noticed how calm and composed players are and that they are not afraid to take risks.” – Vinson Chiu