Red-hot Momota bags China Open crown

SHANGHAI: World champion Kento Momota won badminton’s Fuzhou China Open on Sunday 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.

The 24-year-old Momota collapsed to the court floor and lay on his back exhausted after finally seeing off Chou.

Momota has been in scorching form this year, winning the World Championships, the Asia Championships and now 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 number one 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 home player Chen Yufei. Fourth seed Chen won the title with a 21-10, 21-16 victory.