NINGBO, China, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Chen Yufei staged a remarkable comeback to claim her maiden badminton Asian Championships title, defeating compatriot Han Yue in an all-Chinese women's singles final on Sunday.
The 27-year-old shuttler overcame a slow start to prevail 11-21, 21-14, 21-9 in a 66-minute thriller at Ningbo Olympic Sports Center, marking a triumphant return to top form after an extended hiatus after missing out on Paris Olympics glory.
Chen, a former world No. 1, who only returned to competition two months ago, rated her performance as "eight out of ten" in the tournament.
"I've learned to play more relaxed and enjoy the game rather than feeling stressed," said the newly-crowned Asian champion. "There's still room for improvement as I continue regaining my best condition."
In the men's singles final, Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn beat home favorite Lu Guangzu to claim the continental title.
The world champion won the first game 21-12 before the match ended when he led the second 11-6 as Lu retired due to a waist injury.
"I have won the Asian Youth Championships before, so this title means a lot to me," Vitidsarn said.
In the women's doubles, Chinese top-seeded pair Liu Shengshu and Tanning clinched the trophy after crushing Japan's Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 21-15, 21-19 in straight games.
The men's doubles final saw Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik defeated local duo Chen Boyang and Liu Yi 21-19, 21-17 in 47 minutes, while Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet from China's Hong Kong won the mixed doubles by beating Japan's Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito. ■
