Shi beats Lanier to win Japan Open badminton title
China's former badminton world number one Shi Yuqi won the Japan Open title on Sunday, beating French defending champion Alex Lanier 21-17, 21-15 in the final.
South Korea's An Se-young downed China's Wang Zhiyi 21-12, 21-10 in the women's final to capture an incredible sixth title in seven tournaments so far this year.
Shi was replaced at the top of the men's world rankings by Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn in June, but he was too good for rising star Lanier in Tokyo.
The Chinese player came out on top after a close first game and wore his 20-year-old opponent down to close out the match in 50 minutes.
"I wanted to take it at my own pace, and even if I was losing I knew it was important to dig in," said current world number three Shi, who won his third title of the year.
"My opponent is young and he has a lot of physical strength, so I knew I had to stick to my own style."
Lanier won his first major senior title in Tokyo last year and he followed it up with victory at the European Championships in April.
He will attempt to win the world title in front of his home fans in Paris next month, but he admitted he felt pressure in Tokyo as the defending champion.
"I don't think that it is affecting me mentally, but physically you play with a bit more pressure," he said.
"The movements are a bit less relaxed and there are some distractions in the timing, in the footwork."
World women's number one An extended her remarkable run of form with a dominating win over second-seeded Wang.
An's only defeat this year came in the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open last month.
"I always have areas that need to be improved on so I work on those in training," said the 23-year-old An, who won gold at last year's Paris Olympics.
"I challenge myself and that's what leads to these results -- I put in extra effort on the things that need improving."
China's Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin took the mixed doubles title, beating Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Suprissara Paewsampran 21-19, 16-21, 21-15 in the final.
China also came out on top in women's doubles, with the top-seeded pair of Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning beating Malaysia's Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan 21-15, 21-14.
South Korea's Kim Won-ho and Seo Sueng-jae won the men's doubles final 21-16, 21-17 over Malaysia's Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin.
© 2025 AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
2 hours ago
- Japan Today
Summer McIntosh goes for her second gold on Day 2 at the swimming world championships
Summer McIntosh of Canada competes in the women's 200m individual medley semifinal at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Sunday, July 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) swimming By STEPHEN WADE It's Day 2 at the swimming world championships in Singapore. That means it's a chance for Summer McIntosh to add her second gold medal after winning the 400 freestyle on the opening day. The 18-year-old Canadian is trying for five individual golds across the eight-day event in Singapore. On Monday she's a strong favorite to get her second gold, this time in the 200-meter individual medley. She set the world record of 2 minutes, 05.70 seconds at the Canadian trials a few months ago. McIntosh is expected to be challenged by American Alex Walsh. Also in the field is 12-year-old Chinese Yu Zidi, whose age and astounding times are the talk of global swimming. The women's 100 butterfly is another eye-catching race. American Gretchen Walsh — Alex's older sister — is the favorite and set the world record of 54.60 earlier this year. Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium and Australia's Alexandria Perkins will push Walsh. Two more finals are set. Qin Haiyang of China and Nicolo Marinenghi of Italy are the favorites in the 100 breaststroke. The Italian is the Olympian champion from Paris, and Qin won this event two years ago at the worlds in Fukuoka, Japan. The 50 fly final is wide open, but the quickest qualifiers were Maxime Grousset of France and Noe Ponti of Switzerland. There are also three semifinals Monday — the men's 100 backstroke, the men's 200 free, and the women's 100 backstroke. AP sports: © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
McIntosh launches bid for world domination as Ledecky fires warning
Canada's Summer McIntosh is one of the biggest names competing in Singapore Teenage swimming sensation Summer McIntosh launched her world championships with a packed programme and will go head-to-head later Sunday with Katie Ledecky as they renew their Paris Olympics rivalry. The 18-year-old Canadian McIntosh and American great Ledecky, who is a decade older, will face off on day one in Singapore in the evening for the 400m freestyle crown. McIntosh is the world record holder and favourite, especially with Australia's Paris Olympics gold medallist Ariarne Titmus on an extended break following the Games last summer. McIntosh took silver in the French capital behind Titmus, with Ledecky third in the weaker of her three freestyle events. In the morning heats on the opening day of competition in Singapore, nine-time Olympic gold medallist Ledecky fired an early warning shot and qualified fastest for the 400m final in 4min 01.04sec. McIntosh eased through in 4:03.11, behind Ledecky and Australia's Lani Pallister. "It's always good to get the first one out of the way and I'm looking forward to the rest of the week," said Ledecky, one of the best swimmers of all time. With the 400m free final hours away, she added: "It'll be a great race, lots of great competitors in there. It should be a fun, fast field." McIntosh, who broke three world records in a matter of days at the Canadian trials in the lead-up to the worlds, started her programme by qualifying second-fastest for the semi-finals of the 200m medley -- another event she holds the record in. With a busy day in the pool ahead of her, McIntosh had plenty left in the tank in reaching the semis in 2:09.46, a finger tip behind Australia's Tara Kinder. McIntosh, who won three gold medals along with her silver in the French capital a year ago to become one of the stories of the Games, is pursuing five individual titles over the next week. Also into the semi-finals in the women's 200 medley was the Chinese prodigy Yu Zidi, aged just 12. She launched her championships by narrowly qualifying in 2:11.90, in what is not her strongest event. The school girl will also compete at the championships in the 400m medley and the 200m butterfly. Germany's Olympic champion and newly minted world record holder Lukas Maertens is strong favourite to win the men's 400m freestyle later Sunday. He moved into the final second-fastest in 3:43.81 -- his world record is 3:39.96 -- behind chief rival Sam Short (3:42.07). Short's Australian team-mate Elijah Winnington, the Paris silver medallist, surprisingly failed to qualify for the final. © 2025 AFP
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
Amateur football leagues win over cynical Chinese fans
Amateur football leagues springing up around China have drawn millions of viewers online, boosted domestic tourism to lesser-known locales and sparked good-natured rivalry between cities By Jing Xuan TENG On a summer's day in the city of Suzhou, about 40,000 people crowded into a stadium while thousands more gathered by public screens to watch China's hottest sport -- amateur football. A balm for cynical fans drained by years of corruption and ineptitude in the professional game, the amateur leagues springing up around China have drawn millions of viewers online, boosted domestic tourism to lesser-known locales and sparked good-natured rivalry between cities. At the sold-out match in searing heat in Suzhou, near Shanghai, the home crowd jumped out of their seats and cheered when 17-year-old Kou Cheng scored against Yangzhou city in the second minute. Many wore bright red jerseys and T-shirts emblazoned with the characters for "Suzhou" and used paper fans to cool themselves. "Compared to other competitions, the fans here are more passionate, and even if they don't understand football, the atmosphere is lively," Qian Chunyan, a 35-year-old Suzhou resident, told AFP. The tournament first took off in the eastern province of Jiangsu -- where Suzhou is located -- earlier this year. The live-streamed matches soon drew millions of spectators on social media, putting smaller provincial cities on the domestic tourism map. That, in turn, has created a local consumption boom, giving cities that host matches a much-needed reprieve from years of sluggish spending. The games, initially sponsored by local businesses such as barbecue restaurants, have now attracted backing from big-name companies like e-commerce platforms Alibaba and 'Pure football' Fans of local amateur leagues told AFP they were drawn to matches by the simplicity of football not weighed down by the vast sums of money the professional game involves. "With widespread public participation and minimal corporate involvement, it's a more pure form of football," Wang Xiangshuo, a Suzhou football fan, told AFP. "Winning or losing doesn't matter, purity is most important." Professional football clubs in China, even in its top Super League, have been plagued by match-fixing and gambling scandals. The national team's abysmal performances at international tournaments often draw scorn and abuse from social media users. President Xi Jinping has said he wants China to win the World Cup one day. But the men's team are ranked 94th in the world by FIFA this year and they have only qualified once for the World Cup, in 2002, when they lost all three of their games without scoring a goal. Players in provincial leagues range from high school students to civil servants, including village Communist Party secretary Dai Hu, whose on-field appearances saw him featured by state news agency Xinhua. Local amateur tournaments are "a great model for community football, allowing every citizen to have their own home team", Jin Shan, a football expert at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told AFP. "It brings football closer to the general public." Tourism boom Local tourism has seen a boost from the league's popularity too. Since it began in May, the Jiangsu amateur tournament -- affectionately dubbed the "Su Super League" -- has accounted for a growth in tourism spending in six cities across the province of more than 14 percent, according to state-run broadcaster CGTN. Chen Tianshu, a souvenirs manufacturer in Nantong city, told AFP her colleagues rushed to make enamel badges with team logos and ice cream popsicles in the shape of local symbols after seeing branded tote bags sell out in a neighbouring city. "The ice cream sold very well, with the first batch of a thousand pieces already almost sold out," said Chen, whose company comprises just a dozen people. "Our performance in the Su Super League is giving Nantong a rare moment to shine," she said. Other provinces eager for their share of the amateur football boom are following in Jiangsu's footsteps, with southern Jiangxi province hosting a two-stage tournament this month. Social media trends in China often lead to unexpected locations receiving sudden surges of visitors. Travellers flocked to the industrial town of Zibo in northern China in 2023, after videos featuring its regional barbecue style went viral. "This year's success (of the Jiangsu league) is an unexpected delight," souvenir maker Chen told AFP. "I hope this will be a long-lasting tradition." © 2025 AFP
