The Expected and Unexpected Results of the YONEX THAILAND OPEN FINAL
It’s been about 10 months for Viktor Axelsen and 14 months for Carolina Marin, Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin, and Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai since the last time they tasted the sweetness of winning. Greysia Polii finally won her first Super 1000 tournament with Apriyani Rahayu, despite having some family struggles as she revealed in an interview with BWF.
After about one year without any tournament, the Yonex Thailand Open Finals feels like rain that comes after a long summer. Not only for the champions but for the global badminton community.
On Sunday (17/1/2021), Carolina Marin was able to come out as champion in the Yonex Thailand Open. In the final match held in Bangkok, the fifth seed overthrew the champion candidate Tai Tzu Ying from Chinese Taipei with two straight games 21-9, 21- 16, lasting 42 minutes. This victory closed the gap of loss in her record meetings with Tzu Ying. Marin now has won 7 times in 16 meetings against her opponent who still sits at world number one.
The last meeting of the two took place in the final of the All England 2020. At that time, Marin lost 21-19, 13-21, 11-21. In 2020, Marin had lost at the Malaysia Masters, Indonesia Masters, Thailand Masters, Spain Masters, and All England.
In men’s singles, Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen won two straight games 21-14, 21-14 over Ng Ka Long Angus. This result strengthened his dominance over Ng Ka Long, as Axelsen has never lost against him in 10 meetings.
In the women's doubles, the Indonesian pair Greysia Polii/Apriyani Rahayu rose to the podium as well. This fifth seed won two straight games 21-15, 21-12 over the host representatives, seventh seed Jongkolphan Kititharakul/Rawinda Prajongjai. This win is historical for Polii as it’s her first Super 1000 title. This title can be a remedy for disappointment for this duo after the results at the All England 2020 where they were immediately eliminated in the first round by Chang Ye Na/Kim Hye Rin 17-21, 15-21.
Thailand must be proud for being the first country to host 3 consecutive BWF World Tour tournaments but also for scoring gold in the first tournament. Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai, Thailand’s mixed doubles, won over Praveen Jordan/Melati Daeva Oktavianti from Indonesia. This Thai couple barely gave a chance for the Indonesian duo to breathe in the first game and eventually won in three games with 3-21, 22-20, 18-21. For Puavaranukroh/Taerattanachai, they avenged their last defeat in the final of the All England 2020. At that time, they lost 15-21, 21-17, 8-21. The last time they won was at the 2019 Macau Open.
Meanwhile in the men's doubles, Chinese Taipei reaffirmed that they are not to mess around with, as their players Lee Yang/Wang Chi-Lin defeated Malaysia’s Goh V Shem/Tan Wee Kiong 16-21, 23-21, 19-21. The last time Lee/Wang won was in Korea Masters 2019, where they also defeated Goh/Tan.
Congratulations to all champions who seem to have started 2021 off the right foot. Let’s keep the good spirit up for the remaining 2 tournaments!
YONEX THAILAND OPEN FINAL RESULTS 2021
Mixed Doubles:
Dechapol Puavaranukroh / Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Thailand, 1) v Praveen Jordan / Melati Daeva Oktavianti (Indonesia, 2) 21-3, 20-22, 21-18
Men's Doubles:
Lee Yang / Wang Chi-Lin (Chinese Taipei, 6) v Goh V Shem / Tan Wee Kiong (Malaysia) 21-16, 21-23, 21-19
Women's Doubles:
Greysia Polii / Apriyani Rahayu (Indonesia, 5) v Jongkolphan Kititharakul / Rawinda Prajongjai (Thailand, 7) 21-15, 21-12
Women's Singles:
Carolina Marin (Spain, 5) v Tai Tsu Ying (Taiwan, 1) 21-9, 21-16
Men's Singles:
Viktor Axelsen (Denmark, 1) v Ng Ka Long (Hong Kong) 21-14, 21-14
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