Two-time world champion Kento Momota yesterday suffered a shock first-round defeat at the Badminton Asia Championships in Manila as his poor run of form hit a new low.
Indonesia’s Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo, ranked 52nd in the world, lost the first game, but stormed back to stun the Japanese top seed 17-21, 21-17, 21-7 in just over an hour.
In the women’s singles, Japanese top seed Akane Yamaguchi had no such trouble with a 21-15, 21-9 demolition of India’s Aakarshi Kashyap in just 26 minutes.
Photo: AP
Momota, a former world No. 1 who is now ranked second behind Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, said: “I couldn’t cope with the wind and heat at the venue today.”
“It wasn’t about my opponent, I think my performance wasn’t good at all,” the 27-year-old said. “I hope to find out what I did wrong and what I need to reflect on so that I can prepare for next time.”
Momota has failed to rediscover his scintillating top form after being badly injured in a career-threatening car crash in January 2020.
Momota’s only title since came at the Indonesia Masters in November last year, and soon after he pulled out of December’s BWF World Championships with a back injury.
Momota lost his opening match at the German Open last month and failed to get past the quarter-finals at the All England Open Badminton Championships.
He said his “spirit was almost broken” by the accident, which killed his driver on the way to Kuala Lumpur International Airport hours after he won the Malaysia Masters.
Some of Taiwan’s players fared better, with world No. 15 Wang Tzu-wei taking 53 minutes to beat his Malaysian opponent, world No. 113 Sholeh Aidil, 21-14, 9-21, 21-18.
In the women’s singles, Wen Chi-hsu thrashed Malaysia’s Tan Zhing-yi 21-7, 21-10 in 21 minutes.
In the women’s doubles, Chang Ching-hui and Lee Chih-chen also made quick work of their opponents, taking 26 minutes to beat Hong Kong’s Leung Sze-lok and Yuen Sin-ying 21-10, 21-13.
Sung Shuo-yun, Lin Chun-yi and Pai Yu-po were less fortunate and were eliminated.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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