Yonex Sunrise Malaysia Masters 2015 – Review: Glory for Okuhara

Yonex Sunrise Malaysia Masters 2015 – Review: Glory for Okuhara

Korea’s Lee Hyun Il and Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara walked away with singles honours as the Yonex Sunrise Malaysia Masters 2015 ended today.

Veteran Lee (right), who helped Korea to a team win at the Asian Games on home turf in September last year, won his third straight Men’s Singles title after claiming the Maybank Malaysia Kuching International Challenge and the Granular-Thailand International Challenge. Lee fought off a tenacious challenge from compatriot Jeon Hyeok Jin, 19-21 21-13 21-15.

Lee had several impressive wins on his way to the final. He quelled the challenge of Hong Kong’s Hu Yun (2) in the second round; India’s Sai Praneeth (13) in the third; Malaysia’s Mohamad Arif Abdul Latif in the quarter-finals and Thailand’s Tanongsak Saensombooksuk (7) in the semi-finals.

Jeon, meanwhile, survived four tough three-setters before the final. He accounted for Yunus Alamsyah (Indonesia) in the third round, 21-17 19-21 21-18; Malaysia’s Soo Teck Zhi in the quarter-finals, 16-21 21-14 21-10; and India’s Ajay Jayaram in the semi-finals, 10-21 21-17 21-16.

Former World Junior champion Nozomi Okuhara (BWF home page) powered past compatriot Sayaka Takahashi, 21-13 21-17, for the Women’s Singles crown. Okuhara – finalist at the Hong Kong Open in November last year – dropped only one game in her five matches: against title favourite PV Sindhu (India) in the semi-finals.

In the paired events, Denmark’s Christinna Pedersen picked up a double. Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl (below), top seeds in Women’s Doubles, outclassed Japan’s Naoko Fukuman/Kurumi Yonao 21-14 21-14. Pedersen returned later with Joachim Fischer Nielsen (above) for the Mixed Doubles final and the Danish duo eased past Indonesia’s Praveen Jordan/Debby Susanto 21-18 21-18.

Japan added a second title through Kenta Kazuno/Kazushi Yamada (below) in Men’s Doubles. The Japanese overcame No.8 seeds Chen Hung Ling/Wang Chi-Lin 21-19 14-21 21-17. Top seeds Danny Bawa Chrisnanta/Chayut Triyachart were shocked in the opening round by Malaysia’s Chooi Kah Ming/Teo Kok Siang 15-21 21-12 21-18. The Malaysians went on to lose a thriller against Chen/Wang, 19-21 21-11 25-23, in the quarter-finals.

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