Michelle Li beats No. 10 seed in the world!

Canada’s Michelle Li confirmed herself as a growing danger to the leading Women’s Singles competitors, following up the biggest title of her career by upsetting No.10 seed, Porntip Buranaprasertsuk, 20-22 21-18 21-11.

Having captured the Commonwealth Games gold medal earlier this month, Markham-based player showed off an expanding range of strokes and a burgeoning ability to control the rallies, thus increasing the opportunities for a good tactical brain.      

“She was hitting a lot of winners in the first game,” Li explained. “I wanted to prevent her attacking so much, and knew I had a better chance if I kept the shuttle flat.”

Reflecting on her glory in Glasgow, she noted that experience – of being successful in a big tournament – “makes me feel I can fight for success in big tournaments like this one, this week.”

Li has the chance to show she can conquer a couple of rungs higher, for her next opponent will be Tai Tzu Ying, the eighth-seeded Chinese Taipei player. Tai beat Bellaetrix Manuputty of Indonesia, 21-12 21-14.

If Li wins again she may meet Wang Yihan, the Chinese star who won the World title three years ago.