BWF Worlds Live: Five finals to decide badminton's bests in Delhi

Tomoka Miyazaki's World Championships campaign ended before the final stages, but the Japanese youngster leaves New Delhi with valuable experience as she continues her rise among the elite. The 20-year-old, who is ranked ninth in the world, admitted there remains room for improvement when facing the very best.

"When I'm playing against the top players, there are still many times when my game breaks down, and I want to make that part of my game much stronger," Miyazaki told PTI Videos.

Yamaguchi, who trains alongside her, believes Miyazaki's development will benefit from learning through different experiences on court.

Defending champion Akane Yamaguchi remained on course for a historic fourth women's singles world title after defeating Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-12, 21-17. The Japanese star controlled the contest to book her place in the final.

Yamaguchi's experience and consistency once again proved decisive as she continued her bid to add another world crown to her impressive collection. Her victory also meant she moved one step closer to another milestone in women's singles badminton.

France's celebrations came shortly after hosts India secured a historic women's doubles bronze through Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand. The 39th-ranked Indian pair pushed world No.1 Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning all the way before eventually losing in three games.

Treesa and Gayatri had already produced an outstanding run, eliminating three seeded pairs on their way to the semifinals. Their medal also ended India's 15-year wait for a women's doubles World Championships medal, since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa achieved the feat in 2011.

Alex Lanier then ensured France's remarkable day continued as the ninth seed reached the men's singles final. Lanier overcame Canada's seventh seed Victor Lai 16-21, 21-13, 21-14 in an 85-minute semifinal.

After surrendering the opening game, the Frenchman gradually took control, finding the consistency and attacking quality needed to turn the contest around. His victory means France will have representation in two finals on the closing day, further underlining the country's growing presence on the biggest stage of badminton.

The French duo appeared in trouble after losing the opening game but responded with greater control and aggression in the second. They levelled the contest and then made a blistering start to the decider, racing to a 12-0 lead.

Although the Chinese pair tried to mount a late fightback, Gicquel and Delrue remained composed and protected their advantage to seal a famous victory. Their ability to recover after the opening-game setback proved crucial, while the dominant start to the third game effectively put them in control of a match that lasted three games.

The French contingent had plenty to celebrate during the first half of semifinal day at the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi on Saturday, with the nation securing two historic spots in today's finals.

The fifth-seeded mixed doubles pair of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue produced the biggest upset of the session, fighting back from a game down to defeat second seeds Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin of China. Their 19-21, 21-13, 21-11 victory made them the first French mixed doubles pair to reach a World Championships final, marking a landmark moment for French badminton.