Dechapol-Sapsiree bring cheer to Thai fans with back-to-back titles

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Dechapol-Sapsiree bring cheer to Thai fans with back-to-back titles

By Lerpong Amsa-ngiam
THE NATION

 

Sapsiree Taerattanachai and Dechapol Puavaranukroh

 

Dominant mixed doubles duo Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai gave Thai fans much to cheer, winning their second BWF World Tour Super 1000 titles in two weeks.

 

 

In the final on Sunday, they beat South Koreans Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yujung to win the $1-million Thailand Open II at the Impact Arena in Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi province.

 

Just last Sunday they had claimed their first-ever 1000 Tour level victory at the Thailand Open I closed-door event, also at Impact Arena.

The in-form pair produced another standout performance to prevail in straight games 21-16, 22-20.

 

"We are so happy to win two titles in a row. Before the tournaments began, we planned to win. We wanted to win. We achieved our goals by winning these two titles as we had planned,” said Sapsiree who has now won five BWF Super World Tour titles with Dechapol.

 

"We're very happy -- two titles! We now need to physically recover and talk with our coach as we know next week's opponents will be very tough. We will need to draw up some new plans to prepare,” said Dechapol, one of six Thais to qualify for next week’s World Tour Finals.

 

 

Viktor Aexelsen

 

 

In the men’s singles final, former world champion Viktor Axelsen achieved an unprecedented feat when he became the first player to win all three Super 1000 (the highest on the BWF World Tour) events in a World Tour calendar year (2020).

He outclassed compatriot Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus 21-11, 21-7.

 

Seven days after bringing world No 1 Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan to his knees in Thailand Open I, the 2017 world champion showed no mercy to his 42nd-ranked rival, relying on his attacking game to seal the victory in 40 minutes. Prior to the back-to-back Thailand Open wins, the 27-year-old had won the All England Open in March last year. The All England and Thailand Open I and II are part of 2020 calendar events.

 

“Winning back-to-back titles here in Thailand is a big, big achievement for me. I haven't played for a long time and to come back here and win two tournaments in a row is an extraordinary achievement for me,” said the Dane.

 

 

Carolina Marin

 

In the women’s singles final, which was a repeat of last week’s outcome, Olympic gold medallist Carolina Marin of Spain stamped her authority over world No 1 Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan 21-19, 21-17 to claim back-to-back World Tour Super 1000 titles.

 

The world No 6 has been invincible in two weeks as she has won all 10 matches without dropping a game.

 

“I feel extremely happy. Two victories in two weeks, it's an amazing way to start the year,” said Marin who has bagged six World Tour titles and her fourth in the Super 1000 level.

 

“I said to myself and my team that for 2021 I was going to be a new player, with a new mindset with more focus on the game. There are some big events coming up like the World Championships and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, so it's going to be an important year,” added the 27-year-old who was on the sidelines for eight months in 2019 due to anterior cruciate ligament.

 

 

In women’s doubles, fourth-seeded Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong of South Korea captured their fifth and biggest BWF title after they outclassed compatriots Lee So Hee and Shin Seung Chan 21-18, 21-19.

 

 

Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin of Taiwan won back-to-back Super 1000 titles in the men’s doubles, beating Malaysian Aaron Chia and So Wooi Yik 21-13, 21-18 in just 36 minutes. They also won the Thailand Open I last Sunday and have collected a total of six BWF World Tour gold medals.

 

The BWF World Tour Finals, the third and last of the series, start on Wednesday at the same venue, on the outskirts of Bangkok and will be competed under a bubble policy to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/sport/30401733

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2021-01-25

 

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