# Malaysian overcomes India’s Anand Pawar to win his first senior title
It came the hard way but independent player Zulfadli Zulkifli will certainly cherish the men’s singles title in the USD55,000 3rd Yonex Brazil Grand Prix – his first international title at senior level.
In the final played in the city of Foz do Iguacu on Sunday the former world and Asian junior champion came back from a set down to beat India’s fourth seed Anand Pawar 18-21, 21-11, 21-17 after a titanic 80 minute battle.
Zulfadli was also involved in a tough semi-final match when he had to bring out his best to defeat unseeded Brazilian Ygor Coelho De Oliveira 21-18, 24-22 in 72 minutes.
Ranked No 40 in the world Zulfadli is ranked number three in the country after world No 1 Datuk Lee Chong Wei and Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin but has shot down several efforts to come under the wings of the Badminton Association of Malaysia.
Inconsistency has been Zulfadli’s main drawback and he was dropped for the Malaysian Thomas Cup team after playing in the Asian team championships.
This is only his second final at senior level after losing to Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh in the Sydney International Challenge last year.
India won the mixed doubles title through top seeds Pranaav Jerry Chopra-Reddy N. Sikki. The Indians defeated second seeds Toby Ng-Rachel Honderich of Canada 21-15, 21-16 in a 37 minute final.
The women’s singles title went to top seed Beatriz Corrales of Spain who beat second seeded Airi Mikkela of Japan 21-13, 21-11.
In an all-German men’s doubles final Michael Fuch-Fabian Holzer won 21-19, 21-18 against compatriots Jones Ralfy Jansen-Josche Zurwonner in a 43 minute match.
The women’s doubles also went Germany’s way with Barbara Bellenberg-Eva Janssens coming off 21-7, 21-10 winners over Brazil’s Bianca De Oliveira Lima-Naira Beatriz Vien in the final.
Last year China made a clean sweep of all the five titles at stake with five world champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist Lin Dan winning the men’s singles title with a 21-13, 21-17 win over Spain’s Pablo Aiman in the final.
RESULTS (All Finals)
Men’s singles
Zulfadli Zulkifli (Mas) beat Anand Pawar (Ind) 18-21, 21-11, 21-17
Men’s Doubles
Michael Fuchs-Fabian Holzer (Ger) beat Jones Ralfy Jansen-Josche Zurwonne (Ger) 21-19, 21-18
Women’s singles
Beatriz Corrales (Spn) beat Airi Mikkela (Jpn) 21-13, 21-11
Women’s Doubles
Barbara Bellenberg-Eva Janssens (Ger) beat Bianca De Oliveira Lima-Naira Beatriz Vier (Bra) 21-7, 21-10
Mixed Doubles
Pranaav Jerry Chopra-Reddy N. Rikki (Ind) beat Toby Ng-Rachel Honderich (Can) 21-15, 21-16
