Tough beginnings:

After a tough start, with the biggest European stars affected by injury (Antonsen, Axelsen, Marin), it looked like there was no hope, as all but one European was eliminated after the first two rounds. Despite the fact that Alex Lanier had a tough draw from the get-go, he has won all his matches in emphatic fashion, not losing a single game yet. 

Showing his true level

The 29th-ranked Frenchman faced off against Olympic bronze medalist Lee Zii Jia in the first round, then the always tough opponent Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo, and today he played 11th world-ranked Kenta Nishimoto. 

It has been remarkable to witness not just the way Lanier secured his semifinal spot in this Super 750 tournament, but how he has done it — with confidence and poise. He truly looked like this is his level. 

Shi Yu Qi semifinal

However, his semifinal opponent is none other than world number one, China’s Shi Yu Qi. With his early exit from the Olympics, he is not going to let himself get beaten out of this tournament by the 29th-ranked, 19-year-old Frenchman, at least not willingly. 

After his most impressive result to date, when Lanier finished second at the Super 500 YONEX Canada Open 2024, where he was stopped just on the edge of total victory by Japan’s Koki Watanabe, Lanier will be aiming to silence those who say this was a one-time thing. He hopes to cement himself as one of the top players in the men’s singles category with a victory against current king Shi Yu Qi. 

He faces him in the semifinal tomorrow. 

Watch the highlights from his match against Kenta Nishimoto here.