Taipei: Japan’s Yudai Okimoto completed an impressive week at the Taipei Open by defeating South Korea’s Yoo Tae Bin in straight games to capture the men’s singles championship.
The 21-year-old Japanese player won the final 21-19, 21-12 after previously surviving a demanding three-game semifinal against home favorite Chou Tien Chen.
Malaysia came close to celebrating two titles on finals day, but Aaron Chia and Aaron Tai were edged by Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin in the men’s doubles final, while Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan finished runners-up in women’s doubles.
Yudai Okimoto Defeats Yoo Tae Bin in Taipei Open Final
Okimoto entered the final with confidence after recovering from a game down to defeat top seed Chou Tien Chen in the semifinals.
Despite the physical demands of that match, the fourth-seeded Japanese player showed few signs of fatigue against Yoo.
The opening game remained close, with both players trading points and attempting to control the pace from the rear court.
Okimoto was more composed during the decisive rallies and secured the first game 21-19.
He then raised his level in the second game, moving more freely around the court and forcing Yoo into increasingly difficult positions. Okimoto built a clear advantage and closed out the championship 21-12.
- Category: Men’s singles final
- Champion: Yudai Okimoto of Japan
- Runner-up: Yoo Tae Bin of South Korea
- Final score: 21-19, 21-12
Watch Yudai Okimoto vs. Yoo Tae Bin Highlights
Training Helps Okimoto Recover From Tough Semifinal
Okimoto credited his physical preparation for allowing him to perform strongly one day after his three-game victory over Chou.
He said the workload he had accumulated during training helped him maintain his movement and intensity throughout the final.
“Although I played three games yesterday, I had completed enough training beforehand, so fatigue did not affect my movement or performance today. I think all that training really helped.”
At 165 centimeters tall, Okimoto does not possess the physical size of many leading men’s singles players. However, his speed, court coverage and ability to sustain pressure have helped him make significant progress over the past two seasons.
After reaching the Korea Open final last year, Okimoto has now won the Canada Open and Taipei Open during the current season.
Okimoto Sets Sights on Olympic Badminton
The Taipei Open victory gave Okimoto his second BWF World Tour Super 300 title of the season, but the young Japanese player said he would not allow the result to make him complacent.
His attention will quickly move to the Korea Masters, with Okimoto determined to carry his current confidence into the next stage of the international badminton calendar.
He also identified qualification for the Olympic Games as one of the biggest goals of his career.
“I have a very strong desire to compete at the Olympics. Even though this is my second Super 300 title, I cannot be satisfied. I want to use this championship as confidence and prepare for the bigger challenges ahead.”
Aaron Chia-Aaron Tai Lose Close Men’s Doubles Final
Malaysia’s newly formed partnership of Aaron Chia and Aaron Tai came within a few points of winning its first title together before losing to Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin.
The Indonesians prevailed 23-21, 21-19 in a closely contested final in which both games were decided during the closing rallies.
Aaron and Tai fell behind 12-16 in the opening game after allowing their opponents to score seven consecutive points.
The Malaysians responded impressively and moved ahead 20-19 to earn the first game point. They later saved an Indonesian game point at 20-21, but Leo and Daniel converted their second opportunity to take the game 23-21.
Aaron and Tai again started well in the second game, establishing leads of 6-2 and 12-8.
They remained ahead at 16-14 before conceding four straight points, allowing the Indonesians to move in front 18-16.
The Malaysians recovered to level the score at 18-18, but Leo and Daniel were steadier during the final exchanges and completed the victory 21-19.
- Category: Men’s doubles final
- Champions: Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin of Indonesia
- Runners-up: Aaron Chia/Aaron Tai of Malaysia
- Final score: 23-21, 21-19
Encouraging Result for New Malaysian Partnership
Although the defeat was disappointing, reaching the final represented another encouraging result for Aaron Chia and Aaron Tai in only their second tournament together.
The experimental Malaysian combination displayed strong defensive discipline and the ability to remain competitive during several close matches throughout the week.
The final also provided valuable experience against an established Indonesian pair, particularly during the pressure-filled closing stages of both games.
Tanvi Sharma Becomes Youngest Taipei Open Women’s Singles Champion
India’s Tanvi Sharma captured the first BWF World Tour title of her career after defeating Vietnam’s sixth seed Nguyen Thuy Linh in the women’s singles final.
The 17-year-old needed only 36 minutes to complete a 21-16, 21-16 victory over the world No. 21 Vietnamese player.
Tanvi controlled the match with confident movement and consistent attacking play, preventing Nguyen from establishing the rhythm that had carried her into the final.
- Category: Women’s singles final
- Champion: Tanvi Sharma of India
- Runner-up: Nguyen Thuy Linh of Vietnam
- Final score: 21-16, 21-16
- Match duration: 36 minutes
At 17 years and 222 days old, Tanvi became the youngest women’s singles champion in Taipei Open history, surpassing the previous age record held by Chinese Taipei great Tai Tzu Ying.
She also became the first Indian women’s singles player to win the tournament since Saina Nehwal lifted the title in 2008.
“I am really happy to win the title here. I did not expect to become champion. I just told myself to give everything and take the tournament one match at a time.”
Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan Finish as Runners-Up
Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan were unable to secure their second World Tour title of the season after losing to Japan’s Sumire Nakade and Miyu Takahashi.
The Japanese pair won the women’s doubles final 21-16, 21-18.
Nakade and Takahashi established the stronger rhythm in the opening game and prevented the Malaysians from consistently controlling the front court.
Pearly and Thinaah offered greater resistance in the second, but the Japanese combination remained composed during the closing rallies to complete the straight-game victory.
- Category: Women’s doubles final
- Champions: Sumire Nakade/Miyu Takahashi of Japan
- Runners-up: Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan of Malaysia
- Final score: 21-16, 21-18
Yuta Watanabe-Maya Taguchi Capture Mixed Doubles Crown
Japan collected another championship through Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi, who defeated Chinese Taipei’s second seeds Yang Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling Fang.
The Japanese world No. 19 pair won the mixed doubles final 21-19, 21-8.
Yang and Hu remained competitive throughout the opening game, but Watanabe and Taguchi handled the final points more effectively to take it 21-19.
The Japanese pair then dominated the second game, applying sustained pressure to complete the match 21-8.
- Category: Mixed doubles final
- Champions: Yuta Watanabe/Maya Taguchi of Japan
- Runners-up: Yang Po-Hsuan/Hu Ling Fang of Chinese Taipei
- Final score: 21-19, 21-8
It was the second time this season that Yang and Hu had lost to the Japanese pair, following their previous meeting at the Asian Championships.
The result also meant that Chinese Taipei finished its home tournament without a title in any category for the first time since 2015.
2026 Taipei Open Badminton Champions
- Men’s singles: Yudai Okimoto of Japan
- Women’s singles: Tanvi Sharma of India
- Men’s doubles: Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin of Indonesia
- Women’s doubles: Sumire Nakade/Miyu Takahashi of Japan
- Mixed doubles: Yuta Watanabe/Maya Taguchi of Japan
Japan Leads Taipei Open Finals Day
Japan emerged as the most successful country on finals day, winning three of the five badminton titles through Okimoto, Nakade and Takahashi, and Watanabe and Taguchi.
India celebrated a historic result through 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma, while Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin delivered Indonesia’s championship in men’s doubles.
Malaysia left Taipei with two runner-up finishes, but the progress of Aaron Chia and Aaron Tai provided one of the most encouraging badminton news developments for the national team.
The new men’s doubles partnership showed that it can compete with established international combinations, even though only a small margin separated the Malaysians from their first title together.
