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Shi hopes 'new image' will help break his badminton worlds hoodoo / Photo: Bertrand GUAY - AFP
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Shi hopes 'new image' will help break his badminton worlds hoodoo
World number one Shi Yuqi said the devil is in the details as he embarks on his latest attempt to win a first badminton world championships title, but the Chinese star is also hoping his new golden locks bring him luck in Paris.
Shi's best performance so far at a world championships was a silver medal finish in the 2018 edition in his native China, but since then the 29-year-old has failed to progress beyond the last-eight stage.
On Monday, he kickstarted his campaign with a straight-sets victory over India's Lakshya Sen.
"We've played each other many times, and each match has been very intense," said Shi.
"I prepared for the wind direction and ball speed in the venue, as well as other objective factors. I focussed on preparing my own game and didn't overthink other things.
"I just focussed on winning each point."
With the world championships taking place in the same Parisian venue that welcomed the Olympic Games last year, Shi's performance against Sen laid down a marker.
Former world number six Sen produced a scintillating run at the Paris Games to finish fourth after defeat in the bronze medal match.
- 'Prepared thoroughly' -
Top seed Shi, meanwhile, lost in the quarter-finals to eventual silver medallist Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand.
"I think my overall performance was quite good," Shi said of his return to the Adidas Arena.
"I prepared very thoroughly, including for the crucial points in the second set, where there might have been some minor issues. I was well-prepared for the entire match."
Shi comes into the world championships with one monkey off his back after securing his first China Open title following a battling victory over compatriot Wang Zhengxing in last month's final.
It was his third Super 1000 title of the year after winning the Malaysia Open and the All England Open.
When asked his hopes and expectations for the upcoming major, Shi simply replied: "I hope to approach each point with a calm mindset.
"I think the world championships are a very important competition, and they bring pressure to anyone. But I'll try to treat it as a normal competition and treat each match as a normal competition."
Shi added not all his hopes of victory lay on meticulous preparation but that he was hoping his new dyed blonde look would give him an edge.
"It's actually a new image and a new state of mind to challenge myself," he said of his new hairstyle.
"I just feel it's a kind of adjustment for me, or a change, a sense of transformation.
"Yes, so it's a new style, and I hope it brings a new mindset."
A.Gagnon--SMC
