HYLO OPEN 2024 – A fratricidal final will take place tomorrow in the men’s singles, as Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov will challenge for the title of the German tournament.
French badminton had a bad start to this day of semi-finals at the HYLO Open, the Super 300 tournament on the BWF circuit. In mixed doubles, pairs Thom Gicquel – Delphine Delrue et William Villeger – Flavie Vallet respectively bowed 21-19 et 23-21 in the third set of their match, thus falling one breath short of a Franco-French final. But it still had a good chance of happening in the men’s singles.
Final fratricide in sight
Christo Popov was the first to take the field against Ayush Shetty, who had exploited an extremely favorable draw to reach the last four. A player who knew everything about the opponent’s trap, but fortunately, the Habs did not fall into it. Quickly installed in control, he calmly repelled the Indian’s effort at the end of the first period, before killing the opposing ambitions with mastery. A success 21-17, 21-13 logical and significant of a final for him, of the same caliber as the one won… at the German Open this year!
Hylo Open 2024
MS – SF
21 21 🇫🇷Christo POPOV🥇17 13 🇮🇳Ayush SHETTY
🕚 in 49 minutes
— BWFScore (@BWFScore) November 2, 2024
But this time, he will know the opponent by heart, since it will be Toma Junior Popov. Since the latter was led 2-1 in direct confrontations by Rasmus Gemkevigilance was required. Except he wouldn’t have needed it. Visibly diminished, the Dane did not hold out and gave up his arms while he was being led 17-8 in the first set. Heading to a 100% final Popov, and a new title in a rich season for French badminton, while the two brothers are not finished, since they will be lined up together in the doubles semi-final at the start of the evening!
