Glasgow: Nozomi Okuhara became the first Japanese player to win a world badminton singles title with a magnificent deciding-game win over India’s Pusarla V Sindhu here yesterday.
In the longest match of the World Championships, the 22-year-old won 21-19, 20-22, 22-20 in 110 minutes.
In the men’s singles final, Viktor Axelsen blanked China’s five-times winner Lin Dan 22-20 21-16 to become the third Danish man to win the world championship title.
Axelsen, who emulated compatriots Peter Rasmussen and Flemming Delfs, was in disbelief after his power-packed show floored the 33-year-old great.
“It was a dream for me to win a world title,” the 23-year-old said after the 54-minute match.
“I was shaking like a little child inside... Lin Dan is an idol for me,” added the world number three, who has beaten Lin four times in seven meetings.
Okuhara struck with speed and precision to counter the Indian fourth seed’s piercing crosscourt shots to edge the first game.
Rallied
Both players rallied relentlessly in the second, in which Okuhara saved three game points but could not prevent Sindhu from drawing level. Okuhara held her nerve in the decider as Sindhu struggled with exhaustion.
In the end, the tenacious Okuhara came out on top. “I hope this win will inspire others,” said the diminutive Japanese.
In the women’s doubles final, China’s 20-year-old pair of Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan outlasted Japan’s Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota.
The fierce battle that at one point produced a 104-shot rally went the Chinese pair’s way in 84 minutes.
China’s Liu Cheng and Zhang Nan defeated Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan and Rian Agung Saputro 21-10 21-17 to seal the men’s doubles title.