SOLID TRAINING KEY TO COPING WITH DEMANDING CALENDAR - YUQI

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 (Bernama) — World No. 1 Shi Yuqi of China has stressed that without a solid training foundation, playing back-to-back tournaments on the demanding BWF World Tour calendar would be extremely difficult.

The 29-year-old player noted that an individual’s playing style and recovery methods are crucial in coping with the physical demands of competitions.

“Every player has their own way of handling it (BWF calendar). We all have very strong support teams, whether it’s for physical therapy or psychological support.

“It’s about finding the method that suits you best to adapt to this kind of schedule, because the challenge is the same for everyone,” he told reporters after advancing to the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open at Axiata Arena today.

Yuqi needed only 31 minutes to oust Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu 21-10, 21-7, marking his ninth win in 14 meetings against the 18th-ranked player in the world.

Despite the impressive win, Yuqi said that every rally was very difficult as he had to stay persistent and patient, waiting for his opponent to make mistakes.

When asked about the pressure of defending his title at the Super 1000 event, Yuqi said he did not feel it as each opponent is different.

“I don’t really feel that kind of pressure. Although I won the Malaysia Open last year, the opponents were different.

“Everyone made great progress last year and this year, so I am just focusing on working hard to compete with them. I don’t think of it as defending the title; it’s more about fighting for it again to see if I can win it once more,” he added.

Last year, Yuqi won five individual titles, namely the Malaysia Open, All England, Japan Open, China Open and World Championship, and the Sudirman Cup.

-- BERNAMA