Chen beats Blichfeldt 2-1 to reach last 16 at BWF World Championships

China's Chen Yufei battled past Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt in three games 21-13, 16-21, 21-10 in the second round, sealing her place in the last 16 at the BWF World Championships in Paris, France, on Wednesday.

Blichfeldt started quickly and moved in front 8-7 in the opening frame. But Chen gradually found her form, going on a five-point run to lead 13-8. The former Olympic champion continued to push, eventually taking the first game 21-13.

The second saw a shift in momentum, however, with Blichfeldt coming out much stronger. Although Chen pulled level at 13-13 at one point, her Danish opponent went on to claimed the frame 21-16, knotting the overall score and sending the match into a decider.

China's World No. 4 dominated the third game 21-10, setting up a clash in the round of 16 with Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh.

"There are still things that I need to work on, as I took the lead in the second game, but then dropped consecutive points, which affected my concentration and speed," said Chen.

On the men's side, China's Shi Yuqi swept past Belgium's Julien Carraggi in straight games 21-15, 21-11 to book his place in the last 16.

After the opener saw both players exchange points in the early minutes, the 59th-ranked Carraggi pulled level at 13-13, only to find himself unabled to stop Shi from taking control and closing out the frame 21-15.

The top seed stayed in command in the second, on his way to wrapping up the contest 21-11. The World No. 1's next opponent will be Christo Popov of France.