Momota wins Japan badminton title

TOKYO: Japan’s Kento Momota outgunned Thai rival Khosit Phetpradab 21-14, 21-11 in a one-sided final to capture the Japan Open badminton title on Sunday.

The 24-year-old sank to his knees after a towering smash completed a comfortable win, kissing the Japanese badge on his shirt as he took another step towards redemption following a gambling scandal that threatened to ruin his career.

“I was just so overwhelmed at winning and the sense of what I achieved,” said Momota after becoming the first Japanese player to win the men’s singles crown.Momota had been furious with himself after crashing out of the Asian Games at the semi-final stage last month.

But having beaten China’s two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan in the Tokyo quarter-finals and top seed Viktor Axelsen in the last four, Momota dominated his matches with his attacking style.

Olympic champion Carolina Marin retained her Japan Open women’s singles title by beating local favourite Nozomi Okuhara 21-19, 17-21, 21-11.Marin broke her opponent’s brave resistance with a barrage of smashes that finally brought an end to an absorbing contest.