JAKARTA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese player Shi Yuqi will take on badminton world champion Viktor Axelsen from Denmark, after the latter confirmed his quarterfinal win over non-seeded Japanese player Kanta Tsuneyama here on Friday.
Shi, the world No. 3, secured his semifinal berth earlier in the day after beating eighth seed Prannoy Haseena Sunil from India 21-17, 21-18.
Shi said he would give his best regardless of the identity of his opponent in the semifinal.
"All the players to have qualified for the semifinals are among the best ones. I have to be confident and prepare my best strategy for the match," he said after his win over Prannoy, responding to the possibility of meeting No. 1 seed Axelsen in the semifinal.
Saturday's other semifinal features two former Indonesia Open champions, Japan's Kento Momota and Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei.
Paying his respects to Lee, 2015 Indonesia Open champion Momota said that his opponent has all the talents required of a top badminton player.
"What I see in Lee Chong Wei are his profound skills, power and mentality. Lee possesses everything it takes (to become a champion)," the Japanese said.
Four-time Indonesia Open champion Lee made it into the semifinals by beating Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoun, and said he would give his best in the current tournament to prove himself at his relatively advanced age of 36.
Besides winning the Indonesia Open, Lee will also focus on the upcoming Asian Games, which he said would be his final Asiad.
"This event held every four years is very important for me. This will be my last participation as I will be 40 by the time of the next Asiad. Of course I will give my best for the Asian Games and in the Indonesia Open as well," Lee said.
Besides those two events, Lee said that he would also focus on this year's World Championships, to be held in Nanjing, China later this month.
The 18th Asian Games will be held in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang from August 18 to September 2.
Chinese players also secured two semifinal spots in the women's singles, and one semifinal ticket in the women's doubles and mixed doubles categories.
China's Chen Yufei will take on South Korea's No. 7 seed Sung Ji Hyun, while Chen's countrywomen He Bingjiao, seeded eighth, will face the 2016 Indonesia Open champion Tai Tzu Ying from Chinese Taipei, who now is seeded No. 1.
Elsewhere, Chinese pair Chan Qingchen and Jia Yifan will meet Japan's non-seeded pairing of Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara in the women's doubles semifinal.
China's Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong are set to play the winners of the quarterfinal match between comnpatriots Wang Yilyu and Huang Dongping, and the non-seeded Malaysian pairing of Chan Peng Son and Goh Liu Ying.
