China's Shi Yuqi beats defending champion Lanier to take Japan Open title
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. — AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Badminton - Shi, Wang triumph in all-Chinese China Open finals as host dominates home tournament with four titles
China's Shi Yuqi celebrates after defeating compatriot Wang Zhengxing in the men's singles final at the China Open badminton tournament in Changzhou, in China's eastern Jiangsu province on July 27, 2025. -- Photo by AFP BEIJING (Reuters): Shi Yuqi and Wang Zhiyi lifted the men's and women's titles at the China Open on Sunday (July 27), prevailing in the all-Chinese finals to cap a golden week in Changzhou. It was another strong showing for world number three Shi following his Japan Open title last week. The 29-year-old came back from a game down to beat Wang Zhengxing 14-21 21-14 21-15 in little more than an hour. Wang had a narrow 7-5 lead early in the second game, but Shi took over from there, dominating the rallies and never trailing again. It was Shi's third Super 1000 title of the year after winning the Malaysia Open and the All England Open. In the women's final, defending champion Wang Zhiyi secured a dominant 21-8 21-13 win over Han Yue, who had advanced after South Korea's reigning Olympic champion An Se-young retired injured in the semi-finals. The 24-year-old world number two ended a frustrating run of three straight Super 1000 final defeats this year, all to world number one An. It was Wang's second title of the year, adding to her Malaysia Masters win, where she also beat Han in the final. Wang surged to a 13-4 lead in the opener and though Han tried to claw back in the second game, narrowing the gap to 17-13, Wang's sharp movement and relentless aggression helped her close out the match in just over half an hour. China's supremacy on home soil could not be questioned as foreign players fell at the semi-final stage in all formats except for the men's doubles, which was won by Indonesians Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri. The pair beat Malaysian second seeded duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi-Yik 21-15 21-14 and performed the viral "aura farming" Indonesian boat race dance in front of the Chinese crowd, much to their delight. It was the first time in a decade that an unseeded men's pair has won the China Open. In women's doubles, top seeds Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning overcame Zhang Shuxian and Jia Yifan 24-22 17-21 21-14. Top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping defeated second-seeded Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 23-21 21-17 to clinch the mixed doubles title. (Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge) - Reuters
Free Malaysia Today
5 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Despair as Aaron-Wooi Yik fail to win China Open
This was Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik's sixth appearance in the final of a World Tour Super 1000 tournament. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik let slip a golden opportunity to win their first World Tour Super 1000 title after losing to a scratch Indonesian pair at the China Open men's doubles final. The world No 2 pair's hopes of hitting a career high were dashed by the unranked giant-killers Fajar Alfian-Shohibul Fikri, losing 15-21, 14-21 in just 34 minutes. The Indonesians played aggressively, giving Aaron-Wooi Yik little chance to come back after taking huge leads. Aaron-Wooi Yik took home US$70,000 (RM295,146) as runners-up while the champions won US$148,000 (RM624,000). This was Aaron-Wooi Yik's sixth appearance in the final of a World Tour Super 1000 tournament. Today's result marks a huge win for the Indonesian duo, capturing a Super 1000 title despite the China Open being just their second international tournament after being paired up. Aaron-Wooi Yik were gunning for a fourth title this year, having won the Thailand Open, Singapore Open and Badminton Asia Championships. The two-time Olympic bronze medalists can however take heart as this was their 13th World Tour final appearance in their badminton career, of which they have won four.
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Shi Yuqi wins China Open men's singles crown
CHANGZHOU (China): Local badminton powerhouse Shi Yuqi surged to victory in the China Open men's singles final today, overcoming a slow start and adding to his country's near sweep of the competition. The women's singles title decider, which also featured two Chinese players, saw second-ranked Wang Zhiyi defeat number four Han Yue 21-8, 21-13 in a dominant 39-minute performance. That came just after men's world number three Shi bounced back from a game down to beat Wang Zhengxing 14-21, 21-14, 21-15 in 64 minutes. "The impact, speed and strength of younger players are definitely better than mine," said 29-year-old Shi after beating 23-year-old Wang. "So I can only say that I tried my best to withstand some of his speed." The victor's hometown of Nantong is a two-hour drive from the competition host city of Changzhou, both in China's eastern Jiangsu province. Shi's latest victory adds to his men's singles crown at the BWF World Tour Finals in December – his second such win in the prestigious competition. In this year's only China Open competition not won by the home country, Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri outperformed Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik 21-15, 21-14 to take the men's doubles title. In the women's doubles, top-ranked duo Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning of China beat fellow countrywomen Jia Yifan and Zhang Shuxian 24-22, 17-21, 21-14 in a battle lasting 69 minutes. Mixed doubles play saw China's Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping defeat compatriots Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin 23-21, 21-17 in 47 minutes.
