# A remarkable journey in Belgium ends with Soniia winning her first career title
Â
By Rizal Abdullah
Former national No 1 Soniia Cheah has finally broken the jinx to win her first international title when she won the women’s singles title in the USD17,500 Yonex Belgian International Challenge in Lueven, Belgium on Saturday.
The Malaysian defeated eighth seeded Sofie Holmboe Dahl of Denmark in the final in a three-set battle which lasted 51 minutes before prevailing 21-11, 16-21, 21-16 to give her badminton career a big boost.
And it was a remarkable journey for the Uber Cupper which started her campaign in Belgium with a 21-17, 21-13 win over seventh seeded Julie Dawall Jakobsen of Denmark in the first round.
The unseeded Malaysian next faced India’s Ritupurna Das and came off a 22-20, 21-11 winner. In the quarter-finals Soniia pulled off another upset when she stunned second seed Natalia Koch Rohde of Denmark in three sets 21-16, 18-21, 21-16.
With her confidence boosted Soniia defeated Japan’s Moe Araki 21-14, 22-20 in the semi-finals before her win over Sofie for her maiden title.
Soniia’s next stops is the USD6,000 Varcolor Polish International which will held in Bierun from Sept 22-25.
Â
RESULTS (All-Finals)
Men’s singles
Lucas Corvee (Fra) beat Sourabh Varma (Ind) 21-19, 21-19
Â
Men’s doubles
Lu Ching-yao-Yang Po-han (Tpe) beat Frederik Colberg-Rasmus Fladberg (Den) 21-13, 21-13
Â
Women’s singles
Soniia Cheah (Mas) beat Sofie Holmboe Dahl (Den) 21-11, 16-21, 21-16
Â
Women’s doubles
Chloe Birch-Lauren Smith (Eng) beat Julie Finne Ipsen-Rikky Soby Hansen (Den) 24-22, 18-21, 21-18
Â
Mixed doubles
Ronan Labar-Audrey Fontaine (Fra) beat Alexander Bond-Ditte Soby Hansen (Den) 21-19, 21-14
