Birmingham: "View" Kulavut Vitidsarn has progressed to the semi-finals of the 2026 All England Badminton Championships, positioning himself to reclaim the world number one ranking next week.
According to Thai News Agency, the tournament, known as the world's oldest badminton event and categorized as a World Tour Super 1000 event, is taking place at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England.
In the men's singles quarter-finals, Kulavut Vitidsarn, who is the number 2 seed and currently world number 2, faced Alvy Farhan, world number 14 from Indonesia. Vitidsarn showcased a controlled dribbling style in the first game, eventually winning 21-17 with a decisive smash. The second game saw spirited competition from both players, but Vitidsarn maintained composure, securing the match 21-12 and advancing with a 2-0 victory. His next opponent in the semi-finals will be Lin Chun-yi, world number 11 from Chinese Taipei.
In the women's singles quarter-finals, "Mew" Pornpawee Chochuwong, ranked 8th in the world, competed against Chen Yufei, the world number 3 from China. Despite a closely contested first game, Chochuwong was edged out in a deuce, losing 23-21. Chen Yufei then confidently took the second game 21-11, winning the match 2-0 and advancing to the semi-finals. Chochuwong's campaign at the tournament concluded in the quarter-finals.
The mixed doubles quarter-finals featured "Omo" Parkpon Teeraratkul and "Popo" Sapsiree Taerattanachai, ranked 28th globally, against Yee Hong-wei and Nicole Gonzalez Chan, the 15th-ranked pair from Chinese Taipei. The Chinese Taipei duo outperformed their opponents, winning 2-0 with scores of 21-15 and 21-12, thus moving on to the semi-finals. Parkpon and Sapsiree's journey in the championships ended at this stage.