Japan’s trio ruled Hong Kong for historic wins in Women’s Single and Doubles
Japan’s Women Badminton Team created history today at the YONEX-SUNRISE Hong Kong Open Badminton Championships 2018! World No.1 Women’s Doubles pair Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota defeated their South Korean opponents in the final, before Nozomi Okuhara knocked down Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon in the Women’s Single final. The trio became the first ever Japanese players to ever crowned as Women’s Single and Doubles champions.
No Japanese female players had ever triumphed at the Hong Kong Badminton Championships before, but the curse was finally broken today (November 18) by Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota. The World No.1 pair from Kumamoto defeated South Korea’s Lee So Hee/Shin Seung Chan in back-to-back games, winning 21:18, 21:17 to become the first Japanese pair to take home the Women’s Doubles crown at the Hong Kong Badminton Championships. Over to the Women’s Single final, Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara outlasted Ratchanok Intanon from Thailand, winning 21:19, 24:22 for the title. The World No.6 also became the first Japanese player to be crowned Women’s Single champion at the Hong Kong Badminton Championships.
Having settled for the runner-up in Fuzhou last week, Nozomi Okuhara appeared to be ecstatic after the match. “I was really disappointed following the loss last week, yet I am happy I am able to pull myself up and win here in Hong Kong. With Hong Kong being the season finale, it is great that I secured the qualification for the BWF World Tour Final, this victory also gave me a massive boast in confidence. I hope I can continue to play well when the new season starts again next year, so that I can go after the points to make sure I am part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” said the 23-year-old, who won the 2018 Asian Games Women’s Single gold medal in Jakarta earlier this year.