China’s Li Shifeng defended his Malaysia Masters men’s singles crown with a one-sided 21-16, 21-17 victory over Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
The 26-year-old becomes the second men’s singles shuttler to win back-to-back titles after Malaysian great Lee Chong Wei, who won four in a row (2009-2012).
World number seven Li dominated Sunday’s match from the start, using his offensive tactics to unsettle his 21-year-old opponent.
His powerful smashes yielded plenty of points in the opening stages and he took an 11-6 lead at the first game interval.
Teeraratsakul improved after that, but the Thai shuttler still struggled to contend with Li’s smashing and intricate net-play.
The second game played out like the first, and despite Teeraratsakul’s strong work-ethic, Li stood firm to defend his title in 50-minutes, celebrating with his trademark side flip.
“It has been a while since I won a championship. I had some injuries and various physical limitations previously, so winning this championship gives me a good motivation ahead of upcoming competitions,” said Li.
It is his first trophy of the year and first title in eight months.
The women’s singles title went to Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon, who was equally dominant in her 21-17, 21-15 victory over China’s Chen Yufei.
In a battle of the top two seeds, the 31-year-old Intanon stamped her class with a display of power and accuracy, which her opponent had no answer to.
Her 51-minute victory also means the Thai ace becomes the most decorated female shuttler of this Super 500 event with three titles. “I’m really happy that I made the decision to come and play here. I’m really proud of myself. I always believe in myself playing in Malaysia. Playing here is like similar to playing in Thailand, it is my second home.
“I am relaxed when I play here and I am always able to play like how I want,” she said.
China swept up the women’s doubles title with Chen Fanshutian and Luo Xumin, beating Japanese pair Sayaka Hirota-Ayako Sakuramoto 21-16, 25-23.