NANJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- World No. 7 Kento Momota became the first Japanese male player to claim a gold medal at the badminton world championships after defeating China's promising star Shi Yuqi in two straight games on Sunday.
The final featured a duel between young talents, as the 22-year-old Shi knocked out decorated compatriots Lin Dan and Olympic champion Chen Long to book the final with the 23-year-old Japanese.
Before the match, Momota said he would "take the initiative and not be passive" against Shi. And so he did, starting the match 4-1. Shi managed to catch up with his quick attacks, unleashing a winner, rocketing to 348km/h and levelling the game 6-6. However, the world No. 3 was troubled by frequent errors, and Momota seized the chance to nail eight consecutive points and snatched an easy 21-11 lead in first game.
Shi was still haunted by his errors in the second game, and hardly able to deliver a strong resistance against the in-form Momota. The Japanese star pressed ahead and cruised to victory in 49 minutes after wrapping up the second game 21-13.
"I'm very happy to win the first men's singles gold for Japan. But I think the honor does not only belong to me, but to all my predecessors. I can never accomplish this without their help and I would also like to thank people around me," the new world champion said.
2018 has witnessed the quick rising of the Japanese shuttler. After returning from his 15-month ban due to illegal gambling last year, Momota triumphed at the Asian championships and took the title of the 2018 Indonesia Open away from world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen, let alone his incredible all-win record for the Japanese national team at the Thomas Cup.
"I left the game for a while and I have received my help since then. I believe today's win is my payback to them," Momota said. "I'm hungry for more matches and more returns."
Now crowned world champion in Nanjing, Momota has established himself as a rising power in the sport in the following years.
Winning a silver medal in his second worlds, Shi also has his eyes on the future.
"It is a breakthrough for me to become the runner-up at the World Championships. I hope I can become stronger next year, as there's still much room for improvement," Shi said.
In the women's singles, Spain's Carolina Marin roared all the way to her third world championships title after overcoming India's third-seeded Pusarla V. Sindhu again in a rematch of the 2016 Rio Olympics final, becoming the first female shuttler to complete such a feat.
"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, and I've been preparing for this moment since long ago," the Spaniard said, overwhelmed by her emotions on the podium. "It is always special to listen to the national anthem and see your home flag rising up, because that's when you realize you are a world champion."
Sindhu, on the other hand, was frustrated to see her second consecutive attempt to be the first Indian world champion yield no fruit.
"I was a bit sad because it was the same last time. I expected a good one this time, but I am happy that overall it was a good match. Winning or losing is just a part of life," Sindhu said, vowing to return stronger.
