BADMINTON: No. 1 Momota beats no. 11 Nishimoto in men’s German Open final

World men's Singles no. 1 Kento Momota (JPN)

Truth be told, some of the interest in the German Open in Muelheim is getting ready for the $1,000,000 Yonex All England Open Championships in Birmingham (GBR) starting on 6 March.

So it was a good sign for the men’s no. 1-ranked player, Japan’s Kento Momota, to score a straight-set win over no. 11 Kenta Nishimoto in the German Open final on Sunday.

Same for no. 6 Akane Yamaguchi (JPN), who defeated no. 8-ranked Ratchanok Intanon (THA) in straight sets as well.

In the all-Japan men’s Doubles final, it was no. 5 Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe with a mild upset win over no. 3 Takeshi Kamura and Keigo Sonoda. The women’s Doubles final was another match-up of ranked teams, but China’s Yue Du and Yinjui Li – ranked 10th – first defeated no. 1-ranked Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota of Japan in the semis and then got by no. 2 Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi, 22-20, 21-15.

The Mixed Doubles final pitted no. 10 Seung Jae Seo and YuJung Chae (KOR) against no. 11. Hafiz Faizal and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja (INA), but the Koreans were superior, winning by 21-17 and 21-11. On to England; summaries from Muelheim:

BWF World Tour/German Open
Muelheim (GER) ~ 26 February-3 March 2019
(Full results here)

Men’s Singles: 1. Kento Momota (JPN); 2. Kenta Nishimoto (JPN); 3. Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus (DEN) and Tien Chen Chou (TPE). Semis: Momota d. Vittinghus, 24-26, 21-16, 21-15; Nishimoto d. Chou, 21015, 18-21, 21-16. Final: Momota d. Nishimoto, 21-10, 21-16.

Men’s Doubles: 1. Hiroyuki Endo/Yuta Watanabe (JPN); 2. Takeshi Kamura/Keigo Sonoda (JPN); 3. Bodin Isara/Maneepong Jongjit (THA) and Sze Fei Goh/Nur Izzuddin (MAS)
Semis: Kamura/Sonoda d. Isara/Jongjit, 21-11, retired; Endo/Watanabe d. Goh/Izzuddin, 21-10, 21-12. Final: Endo/Watanabe d. Kamura/Sonoda, 15-21, 21-11, 21-12.

Women’s Singles: 1. Akane Yamaguchi (JPN); 2. Ratchanok Intanon (THA); 3. Nozomi Okuhara (JPN) and Jin Wei Goh (MAS). Semis: Intanon d. Okuhara, 21-15, 21-12; Yamaguchi d. Goh, 21-14, 21-11. Final: Yamaguchi d. Intanon, 16-21, 21-14, 25-23.

Women’s Doubles: 1. Yue Du/Yinjui Li (CHN); 2. Misaki Matsutomo/Ayaka Takahashi (JPN); 3. Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota (JPN) and Mayu Matsumoto/Wakana Nagihara (JPN). Semis: Du/Li d. Fukushima/Hirota, 21-18, 18-21, 21-19; Matsutomo/Takahashi d. Matsumoto/Nagihara, 21-16, 19-21, 21-14. Final: Du/Li d. Matsutomo/Takahashi, 22-20, 21-15.

Mixed Doubles: 1. Seung Jae Seo/YuJung Chae (KOR); 2. Hafiz Faizal/Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja (INA); 3. Soon Huat Goh/Shevon Jamie Lai (MAS) and Robin Tabeling/Selena Piek (NED). Semis: Seo/Chae d. Goh/Lai, 21-17, 21-12; Faizal/Widjaja d. Tabeling/Pick, 16-21, 21-13, 23-21. Final: Seo/Chae d. Faizal/Widjaja, 21-17, 21-11.