Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn won the Malaysia Open men’s singles title in Kuala Lumpur yesterday when world number one Shi Yuqi retired through injury.
The Chinese 29-year-old defending champion Shi pulled out early in the second game of the final with a back injury, losing 23-21, 6-1 ret.
World No. 2 Kunlavut said that he had been running on empty coming into this final.
Photo: AP
“I am happy to have won, but I didn’t have much energy left in me,” the 24-year-old said.
“If I had to play long rallies with him, I don’t think I would be able to beat him,” he added.
The women’s singles final saw world number one South Korean An Se-young clinch her third consecutive Malaysian Open title with a 21-15, 24-22 victory over China’s Wang Zhiyi.
Photo: AP
The 23-year-old was dominant in the first game, but had to overturn a 19-13 deficit in the second.
“I never give up and I always play with confidence. I’m happy to win, I do not think about titles,” said An, who won a record-equaling 11 BWF World Tour events last year.
Chinese world champions Tan Ning and Liu Shengshu beat South Koreans Baek Hana and Lee So-hee 21-18, 21-12 to win the women’s doubles.
Their fellow Chinese and top seeds, Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping, were equally clinical in the mixed doubles, winning the final 21-19, 21-19 against compatriots Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin.
The men’s doubles was won by South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae 21-15, 12-21, 21-28 against Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
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