KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Three top contenders for the 2019 BWF World Championships - China's Shi Yuqi, Viktor Axelsen of Denmark and Spain's Carolina Marin - will miss the upcoming tournament in Basel, Switzerland due to injury.
The three separately announced their withdrawals in the days leading up to today's draw. Last week, Axelsen cited a disc protrusion in his lower back that was leading to pain in his back and legs.
"The World Championships is the biggest event of the year and I had obviously been looking forward to playing. I've done everything I could to get ready, but I must also be realistic and listen to my body and to the doctors' advice," Axelsen said, according to a Badminton Denmark statement.
Shi and Marin's decisions were conveyed to the BWF over the weekend.
The world No. 2 shuttler Shi suffered a left ankle injury at the Indonesia Open last month and has not been able to recover in time for Basel. Shi was runner-up to Japan's Kento Momota at the most recent World Championships in Nanjing.
Marin announced on social media that she had been unable to fully recover from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to her right knee that she suffered at the Indonesia Masters in January.
Regardless of Shi's withdrawal, China will field four players in the men's singles. Huang Yuxiang, who defeated defending Indonesia Open champion Kento Momota in July, will replace Shi at the World Championships which open on August 19.
23-year-old Shi defeated 6-time champion Lin Dan to reach the final at the 2017 All England Open, and repeated the feat the following year, where he outclassed Lin in the tournament final, winning the most prestigious tournament of his career.
Both Axelsen and Marin are previous World Championship winners. Axelsen won the title in 2017, while Marin is a three-time champion and the current holder of the women's singles title.
