China's Shi Yuqi is badminton's new world number one after his first Indonesia Open title win. GETTY IMAGES

China's Shi Yuqi will rise to badminton world number one for the first time this week and is targeting Olympic glory in Paris to go with the milestone. The 28-year-old dethrones Denmark's Viktor Axelsen as the top-ranked men's player, with the Games in the French capital just over six weeks away.

Shi underlined his scintillating form by winning his first Indonesia Open title on Sunday with a 21-9, 12-21, 21-14 victory over another Dane, world number five Anders Antonsen. He is the first Chinese men's singles player to win the tournament Xiong Guobao clinched the crown in the 1989 edition.

The Chinese shuttler has not lost a single match since going down to Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie in the semi-finals of the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China, in April.



Reigning Olympic champion Axelsen rolled his ankle and pulled out ahead of the event in Jakarta, meaning Shi would have become the new number one no matter what.

"Overall I think it was difficult for me to get to number one and also it wasn't a smooth passage for me to the title here," Shi said in the Indonesian capital.

"This tournament is seen as a practice before the Olympics. I still don't know how far I will go, but I will do my best to become a champion there,” he added.

The Olympic badminton tournament begins on 27 July in Paris.