China Masters: Vitidsarn, Naraoka Avoid Early Encounter
Long-time men’s singles rivals Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Kodai Naraoka will not meet in the LI-NING China Masters 2025 opening round as a result of top seed Shi Yu Qi’s withdrawal.
· BWF STAFF
Originally drawn to play each other, the duo now find themselves with new opponents. Vitidsarn, moving up to Position 1, has Singapore’s Jason Teh to contend with while Naraoka, whose sole HSBC BWF World Tour title came at this very tournament in 2023, has tougher assignment going up against home shuttler Weng Hong Yang.
The reshuffle triggered by Shi’s exit has also pushed Loh Kean Yew to Position 9. The Singaporean will begin his campaign against Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen.
The only other change is in women’s singles, with Tomoka Miyazaki now facing Thai Pornpicha Choeikeewong following Gregoria Mariska Tunjung’s withdrawal.