GUANGZHOU: Ratchanok Intanon, 18, set two records at the Tianhe Indoor Gymnasium by emerging as Thailand's first and the youngest winner in badminton's World Championship history after beating China's Olympic champion Li Xuerui 22-20, 18-21, 21-14 in the women's singles final today.
The teenager, who served notice of her immense potential when she won the World Junior title at the age of 13, was in splendid form as she overcame stiff resistance from Xuerui and a partisan home crowd to win in 65 minutes.
Ratchanok, who went on to win the world junior title a further two times before shifting her attention to the senior stage, ended China's eight-year dominance of the women's singles title.
In fact, only Denmark and Indonesia (twice each) have won the women's singles title before with China players having been crowned champions a whopping 15 times since the first World Championships in 1977.
Ratchanok's triumph will also go a long way in redeeming Thailand's battered pride following the clash between her compatriots Maneepong Jongjit and Bodin Issara in the Canada Open doubles final last month.
The former doubles partners had come to blows during the final, an incident which led to Bodin being suspended for two years while Maneepong received a three-month ban,
Ratchanok had said prior to the final that her aim was to win to help Thai badminton forget the sorry episode and she did so in fantastic fashion.
In the women's doubles, China's Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang needed three games to subdue South Korea's Eom Hye Won-Jang Ye Na, winning 21-14, 18-21, 21-8 in 69 minutes.
In fact, only Denmark and Indonesia (twice each) have won the women's singles title before with China players having been crowned champions a whopping 15 times since the first World Championships in 1977.
Ratchanok's triumph will also go a long way in redeeming Thailand's battered pride following the clash between her compatriots Maneepong Jongjit and Bodin Issara in the Canada Open doubles final last month.
The former doubles partners had come to blows during the final, an incident which led to Bodin being suspended for two years while Maneepong received a three-month ban,
Ratchanok had said prior to the final that her aim was to win to help Thai badminton forget the sorry episode and she did so in fantastic fashion.
In the women's doubles, China's Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang needed three games to subdue South Korea's Eom Hye Won-Jang Ye Na, winning 21-14, 18-21, 21-8 in 69 minutes.
The triumph made up for the pair's disqualification from last year's London Olympics for match-fixing, a decision which denied them the chance to defend the title they had won in the Beijing Games four years earlier.
Read more: Ratchanok creates badminton history - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/ratchanok-creates-badminton-history-1.335887?cache=zrrxwltucvd#ixzz2biVtapwI
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