Marin makes history, Momota caps comeback with world crown
NANJING: Carolina Marin claimed a slice of history as the Spaniard became the first woman to win three badminton world titles with an emphatic victory over PV Sindhu of India yesterday.
The aggressive Marin is now the reigning world and Olympic champion thanks to an imperious 21-19, 21-10 win in Nanjing.
The all-action 25-year-old adds the 2018 crown to her titles in 2014 and 2015, and the Olympic gold she won from the unlucky Sindhu at Rio 2016.
Meanwhile Kento Momota became the first Japanese man to win the world title, putting behind him a gambling scandal that threatened to ruin his career.
The explosive 23-year-old convincingly defeated China’s highly promising Shi Yuqi 21-11, 21-13 in the men’s singles final.
There was nothing between the two women’s singles finalists coming into the title match in Nanjing — in their 12 previous encounters they had won six each.
And so it was in the first game too, as the rivals went toe-to-toe, the more attacking Marin, the seventh seed, bellowing after each winning point.
Third seed Sindhu, 23, well known for her never-say-die spirit, initially edged ahead before Marin dragged her back to 16-16.
It was too close to call and the chair umpire had a job on his hands as the two foes repeatedly tried to throw one another off on Marin’s serve — the Spaniard wanting to get on with the game quickly but Sindhu refusing to let her in an attempt to kill the momentum.
Sindhu hit into the net to allow Marin to capture the first game in 27 minutes and she took that momentum into the second to make history.
Momota’s nascent career descended into controversy in 2016 when Japanese badminton chiefs suspended him for more than a year for visiting an illegal casino, denying him a place at the Rio Olympics.
Earlier, 11th seeds Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara came from behind to win an all-Japanese women’s doubles championship, defeating second seeded compatriots Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota 19-21, 21-19, 22-20.
In an all-Chinese mixed doubles final, top seeds Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong defeated second seeds Wang Yilyu and Huang Dongping 21-17, 21-19.
In the men’s doubles decider, fourth seeds Lin Junhui and Liu Yuchen delighted the home fans after they beat fifth seeds Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda of Japan 21-12, 21-19.