With the tournament offering Grade 2-Level 4 world ranking points the top ranked shuttlers will be heading to Wuhan, China for this year’s Badminton Asia Championships scheduled to be held from April 24-29.
It is compulsory for the top ten (10) ranked Asian players in singles and doubles to compete in the continental championships. Wuhan, a booming industrial Chinese city is the venue for the Asian Championships from 2015 to 2020.
China’s Chen Long is the men’s singles defending champion. Chen Long defeated five-time winner and compatriot Lin Dan in last year’s final 21-23, 21-11, 21-10.
In the semi-finals Lin Dan defeated Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei 21-13, 21-15 while Chen Long beat compatriot Shi Yuqi 21-19, 21-15.
Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei, the current world No 1, won the women’s singles title – defeating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, also in a three-game thriller, prevailing 18-21, 21-11, 21-18 in the final.
In the all-China men’s doubles final Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen defeated Huang Kaixiang-Wang Yilyu 21-14, 21-12 for the title.
Rio Olympics champions Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi retained the women’s doubles title with a 21-19, 16-21, 21-10 victory over South Koreans Kim Hye-rin-Yoo Hae-won 21-19, 16-21, 21-10.
China also won the mixed doubles title through Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong who beat the Thai pair of Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai 21-18, 21-11 in the final. – BADMINTON ASIA
