* Image Credit Inside the Games
Twenty-three-year-old Kento Momota of Japan was crowned as the new world champion in Nanjing, China on Sunday and he did it in style – a comprehensive 21-11, 21-13 win over China's 22-year-old Shi Yuqi, the reigning All-England champion.
The win over the third-seeded Shi Yuqi 49 minutes was all he needed to write badminton history as the first male from Japan to win the world title.
And China seems to be a happy hunting ground for Momota. For the record, Momota also won the Badminton Asia title – which was also in China (Wuhan) in April.
The sixth-seeded Momota's previous best in the world championships was winning a bronze medal in Jakarta in 2015.
Where Momota succeeded, Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda failed in the men's doubles when the pair lost 12-21, 19-21, to China's fourth seeds Liu Junhui-Liu Yuchen in the battle for the title.
Still, Kamura-Sonoda went down into the history book as the first Japanese pair to reach the final in the men's doubles.
Japan also won the women's doubles title but for the second successive year, Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota played bridesmaid in the World Championships.
The number two seeds were the favorites this year but ended up in tears and agony as they failed to clinch two match points in the decider and lost 21-19, 19-21, 20-22 to compatriots and No 11 seeds Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara in a marathon 95-minute encounter.
It was also disappointment for India's hope P.V. Sindhu when the third seed went down to Spain's Carolina Marin 19-21, 10-21 in the final. Last year, Sindhu lost to Nozomi Okuhara in the final in Glasgow.
The mixed doubles final was an all-China affair with Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong, the top seeds, coming off 21-17, 21-19 winners against second seeds Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping in a 49-minute thriller.
RESULTS (ALL FINALS)
WD: Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara (Jpn) beat Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota (Jpn) 19-21, 21-19, 22-20
XD: Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) beat Wang Yilyu-Huang Dongping (Chn) 21-17, 21-19
WS: Carolina Marin (Spn) beat P. V. Sindhu (Ind) 21-19, 21-10
MS: Kento Momota (Jpn) beat Shi Yuqi (Chn) 21-11, 21-13
MD: Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen (Chn) beat Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda (Jpn) 21-12, 21-19
