An completes Malaysia Open three-peat as Kunlavut claims maiden Super 1000 title

Photo: Yves Lacroix / Badmintonphoto

An-touchable

It was the same old story in the women’s singles at the season-opening Malaysia Open, as world no. 1 An completed a three-peat after dispatching China’s Wang Zhiyi 21-15, 24-22 — with December’s Badminton World Federation (BWF) Tour Finals 2-1 defeat likely still fresh in the Chinese player’s memory.

Wang pushed hard in the second game and looked poised to take it to a decider after racing to a commanding 17-9 lead. But An had other ideas as she stormed back from 9-17 down to win 24-22 and seal her ninth consecutive victory over Wang Zhiyi and her fifth straight individual title.

Elsewhere in the draw, former world champion PV Sindhu also made a remarkable semi-final charge on her competitive comeback after a lengthy injury break. In the earlier rounds, she beat world no. 33 Chinese Taipei’s Sung Shuo-yun and dismissed eighth seed Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki in just 33 minutes.

A quarter-final walkover against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi — who was wearing a knee brace and retired after losing the first game 21-11 — sent her into the last four, where she later fell to Wang 21-16, 21-15. Her performance in Kuala Lumpur signals momentum building once again, with a projected rise to world no.12.

Kunlavut claims his Super 1000 moment

Former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn stood on the brink of his maiden Super 1000 title against reigning world champion Shi Yuqi, a familiar rival who had beaten him at the BWF Tour Finals semi-finals just weeks earlier.

And Kunlavut had his fairytale ending when the reigning world champion Shi Yuqi retired with a back injury in the final, crushing the latter’s hopes of a third straight Malaysian Open title. The Thai edged the opening game 23-21, before Shi pulled out of the showpiece to hand Kunlavut his maiden Super 1000 title, just a day after reaching his first final at this level.

“I felt a lot of pressure in the match, but it was also very exciting. This is my first time at a big Super 1000 tournament, and I really hoped to win the gold. It is just amazing, I’m so happy,” Kunlavut told The Star Malaysia.

He also expressed his gratitude to Malaysian badminton icon Lee Chong Wei for the guidance he received.

“He shared everything I needed to know, both on and off the court, and I am very grateful to him," he added.

Early exits and home heartbreak

Olympic bronze medallist Lee Zii Jia returned to competition after four months of rehabilitation but struggled to find rhythm, exiting in the opening round after a 39-minute defeat to India’s Ayush Shetty.

Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew suffered a similar fate, bowing out at the first hurdle to eventual semi-finalist and third seed Anders Antonsen 21-13, 14-21, 21-18. Compatriot Jason Teh also exited early, losing to India’s Lakshya Sen 21-16, 15-21, 21-14.

Home hopes in the women’s doubles, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, finally broke the duck of three consecutive early exits at their home Open, but fell in the second round after losing to Indonesia’s Febriana Kusuma and Meilysa Puspitasari.

The world no. 2 pair and SEA Games gold medallists beat the Indonesians in the SEA Games final last month, but succumbed to a tight 24-26, 17-21 defeat on this occasion.

Instead, it was China that reigned supreme in the women’s doubles with top-ranked pair Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning avenging their World Tour Finals semi-final loss, seeing out South Korea’s Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee 21-18. 21-12. China were also guaranteed another winner with an all-China final in the mixed doubles, with second seed Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin taking on top seed Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping, with the latter triumphant in a closely-fought 21-19, 21-19 victory.

Malaysian pair and reigning world champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei also missed out on their target of a final berth as their charge was halted in the quarter-finals after a 21-17, 17-21, 21-10 loss to Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet.

Men’s doubles — so close yet so far

The hosts’ best chance of silverware ultimately came in the men’s doubles – and it came with the nation watching.

World No. 2 pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik took on South Korean world No. 1 duo Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae in the final, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim watching from the stands.

After trading sets, the Malaysians mounted a spirited comeback from 11-4 down in the decider, roaring back to 18-17 behind a thunderous home crowd. But composure prevailed on the South Koreans' side, as they closed out a 21-15, 12-21, 21-18 victory to seal the title. Malaysia’s 12-year men’s doubles title drought at the tournament continues (since Goh V Shem and Lim Khim Wah’s triumph in 2014).

The curtain falls on the Malaysia Open with An reigning supreme in the women’s singles and Kunlavut cementing his place in badminton’s elite – the Thai is only the ninth men’s singles player to win titles at a minimum of four BWF World Tour tiers.

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