Taipei: Malaysia’s Daren Liew couldn’t close it out after leading in both first and second set at the Taiwan Masters Grand Prix Badminton Championship finals at the Hsing Chuang Gymnasium in Taipei on Sunday.
Liew was leading 10-7 in the first set before allowing India’s Sourabh Verma to reel off 5 points to clinch the first set 12-10. Liew then squandered a 10-6 lead in the second set to let Verma claim the second set 12-10. Liew decided to retire citing shoulder pain when the score was tied at 3-3 in the third set.
The 23-year-old Sourabh Verma was runner-up at the Belgium and Poland International Open. He finally crossed the finish line after resting for almost a year due to elbow and knee injuries.
“It was a much needed victory for me, and I am happy to win today,” said Verma.
“Liew was playing good but his shoulder was having some pain in the third set and had to retire. I am glad I was able to pull off the opening game after Liew was on the verge of winning. In the second set, I am happy I could control it in the end,” added Verma.
In the men’s doubles final, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia pulled off huge upset to beat No. 1 seeds Chen Hung Ling/Wang Chi-lin of Taiwan 11-6, 11-6, 11-13, 9-11, 12-10.
Japan’s Ayumi Mine beat her teammate Saena Kawakami 12-10, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10 to claim the women’s singles title in the all Japanese final.
Japan also won their second title of the day through Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota when the No. 1 women’s doubles pair beat compatriots No. 4 seeds Shiho Tanaka/Koharu Yonemoto 12-10, 11-5, 11-7 in 29 minutes.
In the mixed doubles final, Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet dispatched Japan’s Ryota Taohata/Koharu Yonemoto 11-3, 11-7, 14-12 in 21 minutes.
