Akane Yamaguchi hits a return in the women's singles final at the 2025 Badminton World Championships on August 31 in Paris. (©KYODO)
Akane Yamaguchi expressed doubts about her ability to win another world title.
But the Japanese badminton standout proved once again that she remains a top-level player with a 21-9, 21-13 triumph over China's Yufei Chen in the women's singles final at the 2025 Badminton World Championships in Paris on Sunday, August 31.
A strong start ― she led 10-2 in the opening set ― helped propel Yamaguchi to victory over the fourth-seeded Chen, the Tokyo Olympic champion in 2021. There was a rapid verdict, too, with Yamaguchi winning in 37 minutes.
Akane Yamaguchi Reacts to Latest World Title
"I felt the chance to win was very slim [before the tournament]," Yamaguchi was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse. "Coming into it as the underdog, winning despite not having results this year, I think that gives it a different kind of value."
Chen was not at full strength in the final, having sustained a right ankle injury on the previous day.
"I think there were moments she (Chen) couldn't react, so I did hit a bit more aggressively," Yamaguchi said after the match, according to Agence France-Presse.
The fifth-seeded Yamaguchi, 28, played impressively in the earlier stages of the tourney. She didn't lose a set in any of her first four matches in the French capital to book a spot in the semifinals.
Yamaguchi, who also won world titles in 2021 and 2022, has struggled of late in the biggest matches. She had had five straight defeats in tournament semifinal matches.
And so, after her 21-17, 14-21, 21-6 victory over Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani in the semifinals on Saturday, Yamaguchi weighed in on her mindset for the title match.
"I reckon I'll just go for it, and I'm hoping to keep challenging myself and enjoy the experience," Yamaguchi said, according to Agence France-Presse.
She added: "I still don't think [my chances] are that high, but since it's the final now, I'd like to go in feeling like I've got a 50-50 chance."
Akane Yamaguchi became the second woman to win the world title three times. Spaniard Carolina Marin (2014, 2015, 2018) first accomplished the feat.
Shida, Matsuyama Grab Women's Doubles Bronze in Farewell Event
In their final tournament competing together, Japanese duo Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama earned a bronze medal in the women's doubles competition at the world championships on Saturday.
Malaysia's Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan won the semifinal showdown with Shida and Matsuyama, 14-21, 21-13, 21-12.
Longtime partners Shida and Matsuyama announced in July they would be parting ways after the world championships.
Moving forward, Matsuyama plans to compete in mixed doubles.
At the world championships, two bronze medals are awarded, with both semifinal-losing pairs taking home the third-place accolade.
The other bronze medal went to Japan's Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi.
RELATED:
- JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK | Badminton Stars Announce Plan to Part Ways
- Badminton Star Akane Yamaguchi Captures 4th Japan Open Title
Baseball
Swallows' Murakami Showcases Power-Hitting Prowess
Tokyu Yakult Swallows slugger Munetaka Murakami missed a big chunk of the 2025 NPB season due to an oblique injury. But he has made his presence felt on offense in recent weeks.
Murakami bashed three homers in the Swallows' 5-4 victory over the Hiroshima Carp on Saturday, August 30 at Jingu Stadium. It was the type of performance that reminded you of his Central League Triple Crown-winning feats in 2022.
The 25-year-old has only played in 31 of Yakult's 115 games (through August 31). He has 14 homers and a .291 batting average.
The Swallows (43-66-6) are in last place in the CL, 26 games behind the front-running Hanshin Tigers.
Dodgers' Yamamoto Solid in No-Decision
Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto held the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks to four hits and one run in seven strong innings on Sunday, August 31. The Dodgers triumphed 5-4.
Yamamoto also fanned 10 batters for the third time this season, matching his MLB career-high total. He didn't walk a batter.
"I was able to throw a variety of pitches," Yamamoto was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "The fact I threw with everything I had without walking a batter shows I'm in good shape. I've had a clear sense of what I need to do lately."
Yamamoto got a no-decision. He left the game with a 4-1 lead. But Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott allowed three runs in the eighth, blowing Yamamoto's chance to be the winning pitcher.
LA scored the game-winning run in the ninth on catcher Will Smith's 17th home run of the season, a pinch-hit, walk-off blast.
Yamamoto has an 11-8 win-loss record and a 2.82 ERA in 26 starts.
RELATED:
Rugby
Japan Overpowers Canada in Pacific Nations Cup Opener
In Sendai, Japan scored six second-half tries to pull away for a 57-15 victory over Canada in a Pacific Nations Cup Pool B match on Saturday, August 30.
The Brave Blossoms led 17-10 at halftime.
Japan's Kippei Ishida and Amato Fakatava had two tries apiece in the rout.
"We were really poor in the first half, but sometimes when it's your first game of the tournament, that can happen," Brave Blossoms head coach Eddie Jones told reporters at Yurtec Stadium. "I was really pleased for the players in the second half, [and] I thought they played well."
Up next: The Brave Blossoms travel to face the United States on Saturday, September 6 in Sacramento, California.
RELATED:
Track and Field
Kitaguchi Continues Preparations for the World Championships
Haruka Kitaguchi, the reigning Olympic and world champion women's javelin thrower, has had disappointing results in the run-up to the upcoming 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. But she showed marked improvement in her most recent competition.
At the Diamond League final on August 28, Kitaguchi placed sixth with a throw of 60.72 meters in Zurich.
In an earlier Diamond League meet on August 20, she was 10th with a mark of 50.93 meters in Zurich.
Kitaguchi entered those two meets in Switzerland after sustaining an elbow injury earlier this summer.
The Hokkaido Prefecture native had a season-best throw (64.63 meters) at the Oslo Bislett Games on June 12.
Kitaguchi will aim to defend her world title in the women's javelin final at Japan's National Stadium on September 20.
Figure Skating
Oka Wins JGP Debut in Turkey
Mayuko Oka triumphed at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Ankara on Friday, August 29. The 15-year-old won the women's singles competition with a personal-best score of 199.17 points in Ankara, Turkey.
"I was not expecting to win," Oka said, according to the International Skating Union's event recap. "So when I saw the score, I was just so surprised. I constantly try to just enjoy and to have fun in the performance. I'm trying to do the best performance I can here."
In the men's singles event, Japan's Sena Takahashi was the runner-up (225.84 points). Japanese men have finished second at the meet in Turkey three years in a row. Rio Nakata was second in 2023 and Shunsuke Nakamura claimed the silver a year later.
South Korea's Minkyu Seo outpointed Takahashi, topping the standings with 243.27.
Golf
Hataoka, Yamashita Place 7th at FM Championship
Nasa Hataoka and Miyuu Yamashita tied for seventh place at the LPGA Tour's FM Championship on Sunday, August 31.
The Japanese golfers both carded 13-under 275s to finish in a six-way tie for seventh in the four-round tournament in Norton, Massachusetts. They were nine shots behind the winner, Miranda Wang of China.
Hataoka had her best performance in the second round, shooting a 7-under 65.
Yamashita had a pair of 65s, in the second and fourth rounds, at TPC Boston.
RELATED:
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.
