NEW DELHI: Chinese world no.2 Shi Yu Qi on Sunday emerged victorious at the Indonesia Open, securing his first title at the prestigious event in Jakarta.
In a thrilling final that lasted 71 minutes, Shi defeated Denmark's Anders Antonsen, the world number five, 21-9, 12-21, 21-14 at the Istora Senayan arena.
Despite Antonsen's strong comeback in the second game, the 28-year-old Chinese ace managed to regain his composure and clinch the title in the deciding game.
Shi was delighted to be the first Chinese men's singles player to win the tournament since the 1980s before setting his sights on Olympic gold in Paris next month.
"I am very happy to have won today. This proves that the efforts of the Chinese men's singles team are very strong right now," he said after his victory.
"This tournament is seen as a practice before the Olympics. I still don't know how far I will go, but I will do my best to become a champion there."
In the women's singles final, Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei of China emerged triumphant over South Korea's An Se-young in an intense three-game battle.
The world number two, Chen, defeated the world number one 21-14, 14-21, 21-18 in an 82-minute encounter.
"In this match, I didn't focus too much on the outcome but prioritised the process. That was the key to my victory this time," Chen said via an interpreter after her win.
The Indonesia Open took place without the presence of Olympic men's badminton champion Viktor Axelsen, who withdrew from the tournament due to an ankle injury sustained during the Singapore Open last week.
The injury forced him to pull out of his semi-final match, raising concerns about his fitness just weeks before he is set to defend his title at the Paris Olympics, which commence on July 27.
(With inputs from AFP)
