For Michelle Li, the road back wasn’t dramatic – just quiet, steady work, day by day, rally by rally, rebuilding body and belief.

At KFF Singapore Open 2025 on Wednesday, her first-round match against Hung Yi Ting ended 21-12 21-19. A solid, clean win but for Li, it meant more than a scoreline. Her shoulder, once a constant source of concern, no longer looms over every movement.

Nursing the lingering effects of injury, Li had an underwhelming start to the year – first three tournaments ended in opening round exits. Then came the Swiss Open semifinals – a turning point.

“It was from there I started to feel better,” she said. “Now I’m slowly building my game again, building my shots. My shoulder is not limiting my play anymore. I’m not thinking about it on court.”

For years, Li flirted with breakthroughs only to be held back by fitness issues. But stronger shoulders have brought sharper focus. For a player whose style comes “from my hands” as she puts it, physical freedom allows the mental game to finally breathe.

In the second game, down 19-17, Li faced the kind of moment where the scoreboard becomes louder than own instincts. Li stayed calm and reeled off four straight points to take the match.

“I’m still learning to control my emotions and not really think about the score,” she admitted. “I feel a lot more confident now that my shoulder’s much better. It’s just about the mental game; to really believe I can finish in two games, instead of getting nervous and making mistakes I shouldn’t.”

Li believes the semifinal in Switzerland and a quarterfinal last week at the Malaysia Masters are signs her form is returning. But at 33, her goals go beyond just consistency.

“Ideally, I want to go all the way,” she said. “That’s my goal. I’ve always struggled because after a match or two, I get injured or something happens. So I just hope to be fit enough to last a whole tournament and go for the podium.

“Not just show up, not just make quarters or semis. I want to win.”

→ Results (Day 2)

→ Order of play (Day 3)

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“The past few matches against him were quite intense. I need to focus on maximising the opportunity and every point in the match. I need to be more prepared than him in all aspects.” – Jonatan Christie knows what he must do against next opponent Leong Jun Hao

“We’ve got older so these two-game matches have become even more important for us. It helps with recovery and is better for our overall fitness.” – Tse Ying Suet after she and Tang Chun Man beat Phuwanat Horbanluekit/Sapsiree Taerattanachai 21-16 21-5

“Of course we do! It was 2019 and we were runners-up. Hopefully we can go one better this time.” – Kong Hee Yong recalling her last Singapore Open appearance with Kim Hye Jeong

“We always enjoyed and trusted the process. We are thankful to the team behind us and the unconditional support of our family and close friends. Without them, we wouldn’t be here. This achievement belongs to the whole of Malaysia.” – Goh Sze Fei on reaching world No.1 with Nur Izzuddin two years after reuniting