The finalists for the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2025 are locked in, following a competitive day of semifinal action at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn is set to become world No. 1 after a decisive win over Lin Chun-Yi, while China’s Chen Yu Fei battled past teammate Han Yue to reach her second consecutive final in Singapore.

World No. 2 Vitidsarn continued his phenomenal 2025 form by reaching his fourth final of the year, defeating Chinese Taipei’s Lin 21-11, 25-23 in a dominant yet tense encounter. With this victory, the 24-year-old is set to become the new world No. 1 when the BWF rankings are updated on Tuesday.

Vitidsarn said: “I feel really happy. Because the last time I lost to my opponent, and this time, I hoped to try my best with my performance. Today was a relief; a nice match.”

Vitidsarn will face China’s Lu Guang Zu, who overcame France’s Christo Popov in a gripping three-game battle, 21-15, 8-21, 21-15. Their clash will be a rematch of the Badminton Asia Championships final in March, where Kunlavut claimed the title after Lu retired due to injury.

Lu said: “I think it will be a tough match. He’s been in very good form recently, so I won’t overthink it. I hope tomorrow I can give my best and hopefully win.”

China’s world No. 5 Chen booked her spot in another Singapore Badminton Open final after overcoming a slow start to defeat compatriot Han Yue 12-21, 21-15, 21-12 in just under an hour, extending her undefeated record against Han to 10-0.

Chen said: “I’m really happy because I honestly didn’t expect to make it to the finals. Both yesterday’s and today’s matches were tough, especially today. After yesterday’s match, I was feeling quite drained in all aspects. But I’m glad I fought for every point and managed to take the match. That’s something I can definitely give myself credit for.”

Standing between her and the title is compatriot Wang Zhi Yi, who outlasted Japan’s world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi in a physical encounter that ended 21-12, 12-21, 21-17. Chen holds a 9-1 head-to-head record over Wang, having most recently beaten her in March at the Orleans Masters.

Malaysia’s world No. 3 duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik are through to their fourth consecutive final after battling past India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty 19-21, 21-10, 21-18.

Their opponents in the final will be South Korea’s world No. 10 pair, Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae. The Korean pair produced a commanding 21-15, 21-11 victory over top seeds Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen. The Korean pair is aiming to win their fourth title of the year.

The two pairs last met at the India Open earlier this year, with Kim and Seo edging the Malaysians in straight games, 22-20, 21-19.

Japanese duo Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi produced a confident performance to beat world No. 1 pair Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning 21-13, 21-13.

They will now take on South Korea’s Kim Hye Jeong and Kong Hee Yong, who emerged victorious in the longest match of the day – a 75-minute battle against China’s Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian. The Koreans edged the contest 21-12, 19-21, 21-9. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two pairs.

Hong Kong’s world No. 3 pair Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet earned their spot in the finals after a thrilling 22-20, 19-21, 21-16 win over China’s Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui.

Awaiting them in the final are Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran, who cruised past Chinese Taipei’s Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan 21-12, 21-12. Both pairs have faced each other twice this year, with one win apiece, setting up an exciting decider on the final day.

Held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from 27 May to 1 June, the KFF Singapore Badminton Open 2025 is a key stop on the BWF World Tour Super 750 series, offering a prize pool of US$1 million. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster, with daily passes ranging from $40 to $330 and season passes from $100 to $450.

Photo Credit: BADMINTONPHOTO

The KFF Badminton Open runs from 27th May to 1st June 2025. Tickets and more info available here