Japan dominated the Yonex German Open 2018, winning three titles yesterday in Mulheim an der Ruhr in the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 300 event.
While Akane Yamaguchi won the Women’s Singles, Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota and Takuto Inoue/Yuki Kaneko (featured image) triumphed in the Women’s Doubles and Men’s Doubles respectively.
Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen (Men’s Singles) and Malaysia’s Goh Soon Huat/Shevon Jemie Lai (Mixed Doubles) were the other winners.
Top seed Yamaguchi held off China’s Chen Yufei 21-19 6-21 21-12 in the Women’s Singles final. Yamaguchi enjoyed some big wins through the tournament, beating the likes of USA’s Beiwen Zhang in the quarter-finals (21-17 21-13) and compatriot Nozomi Okuhara in the semi-finals (23-21 21-12). The top seed had saved a match point in her second round victory over Chinese Taipei’s Pai Yu Po, 21-17 19-21 24-22.
Chou Tien Chen won his first title since July 2017 as he held off Hong Kong’s Ng Ka Long 21-19 18-21 21-18.
The fourth seed had earlier beaten Japan’s Kento Momota in the quarter-finals and another Japanese, Kenta Nishimoto, in the semi-finals.
In the other half, Ng had stopped China’s Lin Dan in the quarter-finals and Shi Yuqi in the semi-finals.
Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai picked up the biggest prize of their career in beating Denmark’s Niclas Nohr and Sara Thygesen in the Mixed Doubles final, 21-14 22-20.
The Malaysians, semi-finalists in Denmark, Malaysia and Indonesia over the last few months, finally went the distance as they overcame Korea’s Choi Solgyu/Chae Yoo Jung in the last-four in a thrilling match, 23-21 23-25 21-13 before overcoming Nohr/Thygesen in the final.
In Men’s Doubles, Inoue and Kaneko prevailed in a tight semi-final over Malaysia’s Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong 21-17 18-21 21-19; their form held in the final against Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, 21-16 21-18.
Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota had a comfortable run through the tournament, winning all their matches in straight games up to the final. In the title clash China’s Huang Dongping/Yu Zheng took a game off the third seeds, but Fukushima/Hirota routed them in the decider, 18-21 21-14 21-6.
Top seeds Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan fell in the quarter-finals to Korea’s Chang Ye Na/Kim Hye Rin 21-19 21-13.
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