Sports

Badminton Star Akane Yamaguchi Captures 4th Japan Open Title

Yamaguchi cruised past Thai opponent Busanan Ongbamrungphan in a clinical 43-minute display of badminton prowess in the tournament final in Yokohama.

Published

3 weeks ago

August 26, 2024

Ed Odeven

Akane Yamaguchi competes in the Japan Open women's singles final at Yokohama Arena on August 25, 2024. (©KYODO)

Read the full story on SportsLook - Badminton Star Akane Yamaguchi Captures 4th Japan Open Title

Two-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi completed her title quest at the Japan Open with a dynamic display of all-around badminton skills.

In the women's singles final, world No 5 Yamaguchi waltzed past Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan, winning 21-11, 21-10 on Sunday, August 25 at Yokohama Arena.

Yamaguchi overpowered her 14th-ranked opponent from start to finish in the 43-minute showdown.

As a result, the 27-year Fukui Prefecture native captured her fourth Japan Open singles titles. She previously won the badminton tournament in 2013, 2019 and 2022.

Yamaguchi improved to 12-2 in her career against Ongbamrungphan.

The Japanese standout, who was the world champion in 2021 and 2022, had a 42-21 advantage in rallies won in the one-sided match.

"Overall, I was able to stay proactive," Yamaguchi said after the title match, according to Agence France-Press. "I was in control of the game throughout."

She added, "I remained very positive throughout the match and wanted to perform better and better."

Acknowledging that Japanese fans helped give her a boost, Yamaguchi told reporters the final was enjoyable.

"It was very fun," she was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse. "I was able to stay relaxed and the results followed."

Badminton Star Endures Injury, Returns to Form

In March, Yamaguchi was the runner-up in back-to-back Badminton World Federation tournaments, the French Open and the All England Open.

But Yamaguchi sustained a hip injury in March, forcing her to pull out of the All England Open before the title match. The injury sidelined her for several weeks.

Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.