For the second time in two weeks Taiwan's World No 1 Tai Tzu Ying reigned supreme against reigning Olympic and world champion Carolina Marin as she clinched the women's singles title in the OUE Singapore Open on Sunday.
For the 22-year-old Tzu Ying it was her third superseries title this year after winning the All England in March and Malaysia Open last week and has been on a roll since winning the Hong Kong Open in November last year Tzu Ying who added the season ending World Superseries Finals in Dubai to her list in December.
It was the third heartbreak for Marin in three weeks in Asia. In the India Open she was beaten by India's Rio Olympics silver medallist P.V. Sindhu – the player whom she had beaten for the gold medal.
The unassuming Tzu Ying silenced the Spaniard's piercing shrieks with a 21-15, 21-15 win in 38 minutes to pocket USD26,250 in prize money that came with the title. The win in Singapore was far easier than the top seeded Tzu Ying's 23-25, 22-20, 21-13 win in the Malaysia Open in Kuching.
Apart from the Olympic gold, Marin did not win any superseries title last year. The drought continues this year although the Spaniard, a former world No 1, has inched her way to No 2 in the latest world rankings.
"I am not too concerned with the rankings. What is important for me is to give my best in every tournament," said Tzu Ying, who has decided to skip this year's World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland in August to compete in the World University Games (Universiade) which Taiwan will host also in August.
India's 2010 world junior bronze medallist B. Sai Praneeth, ranked 30 in the world, celebrated his first superseries title with a come-from-behind 17-21, 21-17, 21-12 win over compatriot K. Srikanth in a 54-minute final.
The all-India final at the Indoor Stadium in Kallang was also historic for Indian badminton.
This is the first time two Indian shuttlers featured in a superseries final and in the process India became the fourth country after China, Indonesia and Denmark to have players from the same country playing in the final.
"I am extremely happy to have won my first superseries title. It is not easy playing an opponent who is your training partner. We know each other's game well," said Praneeth after his win.
He sportingly gave one of the giant India flag to Srikanth after he was given two flags by Indian supporters who had turned up in huge numbers to cheer their idols playing in the final.
The men's doubles went to Denmark's Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen while their compatriots Kamilla Rytter Juhl-Christinna Pedersen took the women's doubles title. The champions won USD27,650 while the losers took home USD13,300 for their efforts.
The mixed doubles title was by China's Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong who denied Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai their first superseries title with a come-from-behind 19-21, 21-16, 21-11 win in the 68-minute final.
RESULTS (All Finals)
Men's Singles
B. Sai Praneeth (Ind) beat K. Srikanth (Ind) 17-21, 21-17, 21-12
Women's Singles
Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe) beat Carolina Marin (Spn) 21-15, 21-15
Men's Doubles
Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) beat Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen (Chn) 21-13, 21-14
Women's Doubles
Kamilla Rytter Juhl-Christinna Juhl (Den) beat Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) 21-18, 14-21, 21-15
Mixed Doubles
Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) beat Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) 19-21, 21-16, 21-11
