Thailand Open: Marin, Axelsen win singles titles

Bangkok, Jan 17 : Spanish Olympic champion Carolina Marin and Denmarks Viktor Axelsen won the womens and mens singles titles, respectively, at the Thailand Open Super 1000 badminton tournament in Bangkok on Sunday.

Marin, 27, beat Chinese Taipeis top seed Tai Tzu Ying in straight games in an ominous display of form as she prepares to defend her Olympic title later in the year in Tokyo.

Tai was limited to a single digit score in the first game and while she fought hard in the second, Marin ended up winning the match 21-9, 21-16.This was Marins seventh win in 16 meetings against Tai.Axelsen, meanwhile, recorded his second consecutive tournament win with a 21-14, 21-14 win over Hong Kongs Angus Ng Ka Long.Axelsen had earlier won the All England Open Championship in March.

Indonesias Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu beat Thailands Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai 21-15, 21-12 to win the womens doubles final.Taiwans Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin beat Malaysias Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong 16-21, 23-21, 19-21 to win the mens doubles title.

In the mixed doubles, top-seeded Thai pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai beat Indonesias Praveen Jordan and Melati Daeva Oktavianti 21-3, 20-22, 21-18.