This is Kuncoro's second title in the city-state after winning the tournament in 2010.
SINGAPORE: Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro beat Korean Son
Wan-Ho to win the Singapore Open on Sunday (Apr 17) as Thailand's
Ratchanok Intanon also triumphed, becoming the world's top female
shuttler in the process.
The unfancied Kuncoro, who stunned two-time Olympic champion
Lin Dan in the semi-finals, took the first set 21-16. But some bad
decision making cost the 31-year-old dearly when he succumbed 13-21 in
the second set.
Recovering his composure, the 2004 Olympic Games bronze
medallist claimed the deciding set 21-14. Kuncoro, ranked 56th in the
world, said he was surprised by his fairytale run.
"It's really unexpected that I won. It's such a big achievement to
pass the qualifiers and eventually win this tournament," he said.
"I just enjoyed today's game and was able to play well."
This is Kuncoro's second title in the city-state after winning the tournament in 2010.
In the women's singles, Thai star Ratchanok beat defending
champion Sun Yu of China to claim her third successive Superseries win
in as many weeks after triumphs in India and Malaysia.
Ratchanok, the 2013 world champion, will displace Spain's
Carolina Marin as number one when the weekly world rankings are updated
Thursday. Despite losing 18-21 in the first set as the lanky Sun Yu put
her superior reach to better use, Ratchanok coasted to a 21-11 victory
in the second.
She clinched the third set 21-14 as her opponent appeared rattled by
several errors and a yellow card shown by the match referee.
"I think I performed better in the first set but I got
nervous during the last two," Sun Yu, ranked 14th in the world, told
reporters after the match.
Ratchanok, who has now established herself as one of the favourites
for Olympic gold, said the win would give her a boost for Rio."Now I am more confident to get a gold at the Olympic games," she said.
"I thought that today would not be my day and she was
playing well. My body was tired from the past few weeks but I just
wanted to do my best."
Top-ranked players were scalped early on in the tournament.
On Friday world number ones Chen Long of China and Carolina Marin of
Spain crashed out in the quarter-finals, unceremoniously shown the door
by young upstarts.
Chen fell to Hong Kong's 21-year-old Angus Ng, while Marin
succumbed in three sets to Japan's Akane Yamaguchi. Lin Dan became the
latest casualty on Saturday when he suffered a stunning semi-final
defeat at the hands of eventual winner Kuncoro.
- AFP/yt
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