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Japan's Yamaguchi cruises to third badminton world title / Photo: © AFP
Japan's Yamaguchi cruises to third badminton world title
Akane Yamaguchi beat former world number one Chen Yufei of China 21-9, 21-13 on Sunday to win the women's singles badminton world championship final.
The Japanese fifth seed rarely looked troubled on court in Paris and needed just 37 minutes to add a third world title to her gold medals from 2021 and 2022.
Chen, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist, battled past top seed and reigning champion An Se-young of South Korea in a semi-final win marked by a nasty-looking ankle twist early in the second game.
The 27-year-old received treatment on the court Saturday and went immediately to have her ankle examined after the match.
In Sunday's final, Chen appeared hampered in her movement. Yamaguchi took full advantage in the opening game.
The fourth seed dug in to stay with Yamaguchi in the second game until the 28-year-old pulled away after the interval to condemn her opponent to a second world silver medal. Cheng lost her previous final to Yamaguchi in Tokyo three years ago.
Earlier, Malaysian fourth seeds Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei claimed a dominant 21-15, 21-14 victory over second-seeded Chinese pair Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin in the mixed doubles final.
In the men's singles final world number one Shi Yuqi of China takes on defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand.
F. Schulze--BTZ
