An unheralded world No.22 scripted the biggest underdog story of recent times at the YONEX All England, surging into the men’s singles final with a fearlessness that belied his pre-tournament status.

Not since Kenichi Tago 15 years ago has a similar long-shot contender scythed through the draw in this fashion.

Lee Chia Hao, only just beginning to make his presence felt on the circuit, cut through the defences of an opponent looking to make history as the first Frenchman in an All England final. Japan Open champion Alex Lanier was reckoned to be the favourite in the semifinal given recent form, but his opponent showed he was up to the occasion, delivering a performance of high pace and precision and great touch at the net.

“The victory hasn’t sunk in yet – I didn’t expect that I would do this well,” said the surprise finalist. “I’m so surprised by the result myself. In the first game I was just getting into it and I wasn’t as fast as my opponent. I was a bit passive and was able to execute my pre-game strategy only at the end. I was really into the game and didn’t want to think about winning or losing – I only wanted to enjoy the experience.

“Towards the end I rushed a bit and didn’t do well in placing or organising the shots. My coach reminded me to go back to the strategy we had and I made adjustments. I was a bit nervous because it was very close.”

Lanier acknowledged that he hadn’t been able to find the solutions to Lee’s speed and shot quality.

“It was very hard to stay on court mentally. Physically I was not in good shape. But yeah, he also played well. The intensity was very good and he found the right tactics. I couldn’t follow today, and that’s the only thing I’m disappointed with today, that I couldn’t find the solutions.

“He has a specific game style, he’s really technical. It’s quite unique, actually. The speed he puts on the shot and all the deception. I wasn’t good with the legs, I was fatigued. So it was worse to have all this deception against me. The intensity he puts with the shots, that was the problem today.”

The final will be a different challenge, though, with the experienced Shi Yu Qi across the net. The 2018 champion and twice runner-up came through a sensational semifinal against compatriot Li Shi Feng, 21-9 20-22 21-19.

“We had to keep our concentration on every shot,” said Shi. “There were some unexpected defensive shots throughout. We both made some mistakes, so it was about the finer points today. We needed a lot of patience. It wasn’t about tactics, just about avoiding mistakes.”