Taiwanese shuttler Lin Chun-yi yesterday won the men’s singles title at the Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters in Bangkok, after outdueling the fourth-seeded defending champion Angus Ng Ka Long of Hong Kong.
World No. 35 Lin topped world No. 18 Ng 21-17, 21-14 in their first-ever matchup that lasted 37 minutes.
It was the 23-year-old Lin’s first title of the season and his second BWF World Tour Super 300 championship win after capturing the Yonex US Open in 2019.
Photo: CNA
Ng was the men’s singles champion in the Thailand Masters’ previous edition in 2020.
As a Super 300 event, the fifth tier of professional badminton tournaments after the BWF Finals and Super 1000, 750 and 500 events, the Thailand Masters did not attract the world’s top players, leaving an opportunity for slightly lower ranked players to shine.
Lin took advantage, defeating the highest-ranked player in the tournament, world No. 14 Kenta Nishimoto of Japan, in the quarterfinals, world No. 19 Shi Yuqi of China in the semi-finals and world No. 18 Ng in the finals, all in straight games.
Yesterday, it was Ng who set the tempo at the start of the match, taking a 12-7 lead, but a 9-2 run by Lin that included a well-placed smash down the line gave the Taiwanese the upper hand.
Ng stayed close, but clinging to an 18-17 edge, Lin pocketed the final three points and clinched the game with a body smash.
In the second game, Ng again started strong to take a 10-8 lead, but Lin became focused as the game drew on, taking seven of the next eight points, before closing out the match.
In the men’s doubles final, world No. 42 Su Ching-heng and Ye Hong-wei of Taiwan lost to world No. 13 Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin of Indonesia 21-16, 21-17 in 40 minutes.
It was still a successful showing for the Taiwanese duo, who defeated teams from Indonesia ranked 11th and 21st in the world in earlier rounds before stalling in the finals.
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