Hu Yun (NANORAY 750, SHBF1NLTD) had a perilous journey to the men’s singles final. Defeating Japan’s Kenichi Tago (NANORAY Z-SPEED) in round 1, the shuttler from Hong Kong went on to face world No. 1 Chen Long in the following match. The two battled it out across three heated games, with Yun winning by the skin of his teeth at the very last moment; 12-21 21-17 21-18. Yun would endure full-game matches in the quarterfinal and semifinal, eventually meeting Japan’s Kento Momota (VOLTRIC Z-FORCE Ⅱ, SHB02LTD) in the final. The Japanese shuttler won in straight games against both Chou Tien Chen (VOLTRIC 70 E-tune, SHB02LTD) in the second round, and Simon Santoso in the semifinal.
The final match saw Kento secure the first game against Yun at 21-17, but the 2014 YONEX OPEN JAPAN finalist struck back. After being lead 10-7 in game 2, Yun turned things around, winning at 21-16. He would take firm control over the decider, claiming a 12-7 lead. Kento wasn’t shaken however, maintaining resolved and powerful performance, slowly closing the gap between the two. At 14-15, the Japanese shuttler grabbed seven consecutive points to win the match at 21-17 16-21 21-15. At 20-years-old, this victory makes Kento the first Japanese shuttler to win a men’s singles title at a Superseries tournament, building upon his stellar performance at the Thomas cup, where he won every single one of his matches.
Indonesian shuttlers proved their prowess on court in men’s doubles, with Angga Pratama (NANORAY 900, SHB87LTD) and Ricky Karanda Suwardi (NANORAY 900, SHB87LTD) pulling off wins against a series of fierce opponents to earn their first Superseries title. The pair met world No. 1 Lee Yong Dae/Yoo Yeon Seong in the quarterfinal, enacting a spectacular straight-game win at 21-19 21-18. The two continued, meeting No. 3 seeds Hiroyuki Endo (VOLTRIC Z-FORCE Ⅱ)/Kenichi Hayakawa in the semifinal, clutching a hard-earned win after three games, the match ending at 21-17 20-22 21-17. They met with 2015 YONEX All England runners-up Fu Heifeng/Zhang Nan in the final match, overtaking the Chinese pair at 21-15 11-21 21-14. The decider saw the duo maintain the lead from the very beginning, refusing their opponents any opportunities to catch up. Mohammad Ahsan (NANORAY 900, SHB87LTD) and Hendra Setiawan (NANORAY 900, SHBF1NLTD) placed as semifinalists, further cementing Indonesia as a robust fixture in men’s doubles.
Ayaka Takahashi (VOLTRIC 80 E-tune) and Misaki Matsutomo continue to produce outstanding results in women’s doubles throughout three straight weeks of Superseries tournaments. Coming off of their win in India, the two placed as finalists in this tournament. The duo excelled right from their opening match, particularly impressing in their semifinal match against Wang Xiaoli/Yu Yang—a pair with numerous titles to their names, including World Championships titles. Between their performance and Kento’s victory, Japan continues to prove itself as a force to be reckoned with.
Singapore Open Superseries Tournament Results
Men’s Singles
Kento Momota (VOLTRIC Z-FORCE Ⅱ, SHB02LTD)(JPN) def. Hu Yun ((NANORAY 750, SHBF1NLTD)(HKG) 21-17 16-21 21-15
Men’s Doubles
Angga Pratama (NANORAY 900, SHB87LTD)/Ricky Karanda Suwardi (NANORAY 900, SHB87LTD)(INA) def. Fu Heifeng/Zhang Nan (CHN) 21-15 11-21 21-14
Women’s Doubles
[6] Ou Dongni/Xiaohan Yu (CHN) def. [1] Ayaka Takahashi (VOLTRIC 80 E-tune)/Misaki Matsutomo (JPN) 21-17 21-16