Last week they also met in the second round of the Arctic Open, where it was Rasmus Gemke who came out on top, winning 21–19 in the deciding game. This week, however, the stage was different — Finland was replaced by Denmark, and the match never became as close as their previous encounter.

Christo Popov quickly took a 7–2 lead in the opening game and never looked back. The same scenario played out in the second game, where the Frenchman went ahead 8–3 and comfortably closed out the match in straight games.

Afterwards, Popov admitted he came into the match eager for revenge.

"Losing to him last week hurt, because I am in a good season and good form. Last week he played really nice, he has a really nice high level... Today I could feel that he wasn’t in the shape that he was last week."

It was also a performance that showed Popov himself is in excellent physical condition. He appeared calm, composed, and well-balanced on court.

"I watched all my matches against him, today was again kind of the same strategy on both sides, but at the end he made more mistakes, and I was more patient and more accurate today. I am happy to be in the quarterfinal now, this is the first time for me to actually win just one round here at Denmark Open."

In tomorrow’s quarterfinal, the young Frenchman faces a huge challenge against world number one and reigning world champion Shi Yu Qi. The two know each other well, they met earlier this year at the World Championships in a marathon match lasting one hour and twenty minutes, where the Chinese player narrowly prevailed 21–18 in the third game.

When asked about tomorrow’s opponent, Popov couldn’t help but smile, fully aware of the mountain that awaits him — but also excited by the opportunity to test himself against the very best.

"I know him pretty well. If it has to be one hour and twenty minutes again and I win, then I will definitely take it."

"For me it is more about taking every chance that I get. If it means to die on court, I will definitely give 150%. I will just go all in tomorrow."

Although he is prepared to give everything on court, Popov was also full of praise for his upcoming opponent.

"He has crazy attack, crazy net, and I think he has also a good defence."

So what will it take for Christo Popov to beat Shi Yu Qi tomorrow?

"I definitely need to go into rallies, be very solid and it has to be a long match against him, because he will not give easy points, so it is for me to fight on every point."

Before we reach the quarterfinals tomorrow, there are still plenty of matches featuring European players to be played. You can find the full match schedule here, and remember to follow our social media channels for live updates throughout the Denmark Open.