Momota wins Fuzhou crown
FUZHOU: World champion Kento Momota won the US$700,000 BWF Fuzhou China Open yesterday to add another title to his already spectacular season.
Japan’s world No.1 survived a spirited challenge from Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, defeating the fourth seed 21-13, 11-21, 21-16 in 66 minutes at Haixia Olympic Sports Centre in Fuzhou.
The 24-year-old Momota collapsed on the court and lay on his back exhausted after finally seeing off Chou.
Momota has been in scorching form this year, winning the world championship, the Asia championship and four events on the World Tour.
His defeat of Chou was a repeat of the Denmark Open final in October, when the explosive Momota similarly prevailed in three games.
Momota, who was expelled from the Japanese team for the 2016 Rio Olympics and banned for over a year for visiting an illegal casino, is now set to compete at this week’s Hong Kong Open.
He is drawn to face ageing former No.1 Lin Dan of China in his opening match.
In the women’s final, there was disappointment for Japan when seventh seed Nozomi Okuhara lost to China’s Chen Yufei.
Fourth seed Chen won the title with a 21-10, 21-16 victory.
Top seeds and world No.1 Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong claimed the mixed doubles crown after beating secondseeded compatriots Wang Yilyu and Huang Dongping 21-15, 11-21, 21-19.
The women’s doubles title went to Korean seventh seeds Lee So-Hee and Shin Seung-Chan, who defeated Japan’s fifth seeds Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara 23-21, 21-18.
In the men’s doubles decider, Indonesia’s top seeds Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo fought back to beat China’s He Jiting and Tan Qiang 25-27, 21-17, 21-15.
It was the Indonesians’ second title in their last three events.