Akane Yamaguchi
Three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi and reigning SEA Games champion Alwi Farhan clinched their second international title of the season at the Australian Open badminton championships in Sydney.
While she has won numerous titles in the past, it was all the more satisfying for Yamaguchi. The Japanese shuttler was beaten in both of her recent two final appearances at the Singapore Open and Indonesian Open to Korean An Se-young.
But the 29-year-old showed strong perseverance as she defeated Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong 22-20, 21-18 for the women’s singles title, adding to the Thailand Open title she won four weeks ago.
Yamaguchi stretches her head-to-head record against Pornpawee 13-5, having not lost to her Thai opponent since the Sudirman Cup Finals in 2023. It was her sixth straight win over the 28-year-old Pornpawee.
Alwi, ranked 13th in the world, put an end to the fairy-tale run of China’s Dong Tianyao with a polished 21-13, 21-13 win to claim the men’s singles crown.
It was the first meeting between Alwi and his world number 73 rival. Tianyao had beaten some of the more accomplished players including Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and Chou Tien Chen enroute to the final. But he was outplayed by Alwi, who adds the Australian Open title to the Indonesian Masters he won earlier this year.
China claimed all the three doubles titles at stake with fourth seeded Chen Boyang-Liu Yi picking up an upset 21-15, 21-19 win over Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani of Indonesia.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles: Alwi Farhan (Ina) bt Dong Tianyao (Chn) 21-13, 21-13
Men’s doubles: Chen Boyang-Liu Yi (Chn) bt Sabar Karyaman Gutama-Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani (Ina) 21-15, 21-19
Women’s singles: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Pornpawee Chochuwong (Tha) 22-20, 21-18
Women’s doubles: Jia Yifan-Zhang Shuxian (Chn) bt Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Meilysa Trias Puspitasari (Ina) 24-22, 21-13
Mixed doubles: Feng Yanzhe-Huang Dongping (Chn) bt Guo Xinwa-Chen Fanghui (Chn) 21-17, 21-19
