KUALA LUMPUR - Chinese shuttlers kept their momentum during Friday's quarterfinals of the Malaysia Open 2026, advancing ever closer to the title in several categories.

World No 1 Shi Yuqi easily overpowered Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong, China 21-10, 21-7 in a fast-paced 30-minute quarterfinals at the Axiata Arena.

Meanwhile, four-time World Championships medalist Anders Antonsen of Denmark outmatched Japan's Nishimoto Kenta 21-9, 21-12 and said he is eyeing to climb in rankings after having been Denmark's top shuttler and the world No 3.

"I've been steady up here on the world ranking for many years now and I'm proud about that. And I plan to stay here for as long as I can. The only pressure would be for myself. I put myself up to high standards. I want to do my absolute best every single day," he said.

Women's singles player Chen Yufei knocked out Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 21-13, 21-14, while her teammate Wang Zhiyi overcame Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-17, 21-18 in a drawn-out match.

Wang, having conditioned herself to keep at peak performance, told Xinhua that she is in high spirits and looking forward to facing her opponent at the semi-finals on Saturday.

"First, I think the course and the shuttle speed were slightly different compared to yesterday. Today felt a bit faster. Regardless of the upcoming opponent, I think what matters most is preparing myself well. Tomorrow, I will give it my all," she said.

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Women's singles world No 1 An Se-young of South Korea knocked out Denmark's Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldtt 21-8, 21-9 and said she will keep her mind on the attack for the semi-finals.

"I'm always thinking about how to play and how to practise better, I think I'm learning a lot while practising with the male players. I think that helps me a lot in my attacking play," she told local media.

Chinese women's doubles pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning rolled over Japan's Ririna Hiramoto and Ishikawa Kokona 21-15, 21-12.

Mixed doubles duo Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin decisively outplayed Presley Smith and Jennie Gai of the U.S. 21-16, 21-13 in a quick 35-minute match, while Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping moved into the semifinals by outplaying their compatriots Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui 21-16, 21-19.

The Malaysia Open runs from Jan 6 to 11.