Taiwan shuttler Lin Chun-yi wins Thailand Masters title

Taipei, Feb. 5 (CNA) Taiwan shuttler Lin Chun-yi (林俊易) took the men's singles title at the Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters 2023 in Bangkok on Sunday after outdueling the fourth-seeded defending champion Ng Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong (伍家朗).

The world No. 35 Lin topped the No. 18 Ng 21-17, 21-14 in their first-ever matchup that lasted 37 minutes.

It was the 23-year-old Lin's first title of the season and his second ever BWF World Tour Super 300 championship win after capturing the Yonex US Open in 2019.

Ng was the men's singles champion in the Thailand Masters' previous edition in 2020.

As a Super 300 event, the fifth tier of professional badminton tournaments after the BWF Finals and Super 1000, 750, and 500 events, the Thailand Masters did not attract the world's top players, leaving an opportunity for slightly lower ranked players to shine.

Lin took advantage, defeating the highest ranked player in the tournament, world no. 14 Kenta Nishimoto of Japan, in the quarterfinals, world no. 19 Shi Yuqi of China in the semifinals, and world no. 18 Ng in the finals, all in straight games.

In Sunday's final, it was Ng who took control of the tempo at the start of the match to grab a 12-7 lead, but a 9-2 run by Lin that included a well-placed smash down the line gave the Taiwanese the upper hand.

Ng stayed close, but clinging to an 18-17 edge, Lin pocketed the final three points and clinched the game with a body smash.

In the second game, Ng started well again to take a 10-8 lead. But Lin got stronger as the game went on, playing superbly at the net to take seven of the next eight points, and he closed out the match in relatively comfort.

In the men's doubles final, world No. 42 Su Ching-heng (蘇敬恒) and Ye Hong-wei (葉宏蔚) of Taiwan lost to world no. 13 Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin of Indonesia, 21-16, 21-17 in 40 minutes.

It was still a successful showing for the Taiwanese duo, who defeated teams from Indonesia ranked 11th and 21st in the world in earlier rounds before stalling in the finals.