Lee Chong, Tai Tzu win singles titles

Malaysia Open

Kuala Lumpur, July 1: Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei and Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying bagged the men’s and women’s singles title respectively in the Malaysian Open badminton tournament here on Sunday.

Lee beat Kento Momota to end the Japanese rising star’s winning streak since his return from a one-year suspension while bagging his 12th title at the tournament.

Lee, 35, finished the match, which was filled with drama and upturns at 21-17, 23-21, after 71 minutes, reports Xinhua news agency.

Lee admitted that if he had to fight the third game, he probably would have lost to Momota, who is 12 years younger than him.

Momota said Lee is still a dominant player in the men’s singles category, though Lee has said that with the retirement of old players like himself and Lin Dan, the future belongs to rising stars like Victor Axelsen and Momota.

In the women’s singles final, defending champion Tai defeated China’s He Bingjiao 22-20, 21-11 to claim her third title in the tournament.

Japan also bagged two titles as their men’s doubles pair Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda and women’s doubles pair Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi won their respective games.

Kamura-Sonoda outclassed compatriots Hiroyuki Endo-Yuta Watanabe 21-8, 21-10 to become the first ever Japanese men’s doubles champions in the tournament history.

On the other hand, Matsutomo-Takahashi pipped China’s Chen Qingchen-Jia Yifan 21-12, 21-12 to lift the women’s doubles crown. IANS