Nozomi Okuhara (Photo by Tony2803.tw)
Former world champion Nozomi Okuhara claimed the Orleans Masters badminton championships women’s singles title as Japan and France took home two titles each.
Okuhara, the 2017 World champion, defeated Thailand’s Pitchamon Opatniputh 21-15, 21-15 in the women’s singles final. The Orleans Masters win is her first BWF 300 title since the Syed Modi International three years ago.
The 31-year-old Japanese veteran did win three titles last year, but it were all in the lower BWF 100 events.
For Pitchamon Opatniputh. the 2023 World Junior champion, it was her second final defeat this season. Earlier this year, she was beaten in the Indonesian Masters final by China’s Chen Yufei.
Japan also claimed the women’s doubles title with the pairing of Sumire Nakade-Miyu Takahashi battling for 65-minutes before edging Lin Chih-Chun-Yang Chu Yun of Chinese Taipei 22-20, 12-21, 21-18 in an energy sapping final.
The Japanese duo were playing in a final as a pair for the very first time. Takahashi began the 2026 season at the Indonesia Masters, partnering with Arisa Igarashi. That pairing had reached the final, where they finished as runners-up, conceding a walkover to Malaysian’s Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan.
Japan were denied a third title when China’s Hu Keyuan-Lin Xiangyi defeated Hiroki Okamura-Kyohei Yamashita 21-19, 21-14 in the men’s doubles final.
Defending men’s singles champion Alex Lanier retained his men’s singles title, defeating teammate Toma Junior Popov 21-11, 21-13. It was also his first win the Tour since last years Orleans Masters.
The-21-year old Lanier denied Popov, six years his senior, from claiming a historic third Orleans Masters title with a polished display in just 34-minutes.
France also clinched the mixed doubles title with top seeds Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue living up to the expectations to beat Mathias Christiansen-Alexandre Boje of Denmark 21-19, 21-13.
FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles: Alex Lanier (Fra) bt Toma Junior Popov (Fra) 21-11, 21-13
Men’s doubles: Hu Keyuan-Lin Xiangyi (Chn) bt Hiroki Okamura-Kyohei Yamashita (Jpn) 21-19, 21-14
Women’s singles: Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) bt Pitchamon Opatniputh (Tha) 21-15, 21-15
Women’s doubles: Sumire Nakade-Miyu Takahashi (Jpn) bt Lin Chih-Chun-Yang Chu Yun (Tpe) 22-20, 12-21, 21-18
Mixed doubles: Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue (Fra) bt Mathias Christiansen-Alexandre Boje (Den) 21-19, 21-13
