Badminton Asia Championships 2022 finals: Lee Zii Jia edges Jonatan Christie for title as Wang Zhi Yi stuns Yamaguchi Akane
China's Wang mounts sensational comeback to defeat Yamaguchi of Japan, as Lee overcomes strong challenge from Christie in two tight games.
Badminton
Lee Zii Jia defeated Jonatan Christie to claim men's honours at the 2022 Asian Badminton Championships in Manila on Sunday (1 May).
Malaysia's Lee won the men's singles final 21-17, 23-21 over his Indonesian rival,
Wang Zhi Yi lit the fuse earlier on finals day, by claiming the women's singles title despite losing the first set to Yamaguchi Akane. The 22-year-old Wang of China won 15-21, 21-13, 21-19 in an hour and eighteen minutes.
Read on for all the results and how it all went down.
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Lee Zii Jia defeats Jonatan Christie in close-fought match
Malaysian star Lee Zii Jia is currently leading against Jonatan Christie after taking the first game 21-17.
It's tight in the second set as Christie fights to stay alive in the match, the Indonesian currently trails 10-11.
It's neck and neck at 15-15, and now 19-19! Brilliant badminton from both, this is on a knife's edge.
And Lee closes it out, he's 2022 Asia champion winning 21-17, 23-21.
A valiant effort from both players.
Indonesian pair top men's doubles podium
Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan from Indonesia overcame the Malaysian duo Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik in straight games to win 23-21, 21-10 in 29 minutes.
Chinese pair Chen/Jia clinch women's doubles final
More joy for China in the women's doubles final as Chen Qing Chen / Jia Yi Fan are crowned Asian champs after a dominant 21-11, 21-15 win over Japan's Iwanaga Rin and Nakanishi Kie.
The match was over in 44 minutes.
Zheng and Huang cruise to mixed doubles victory
Zheng Si Wei / Huang Ya Qiong came out on top of an all-Chinese mixed doubles final against Huang Dong Ping and Wang Yi Lyu, Zheng and Huang were in complete control winning 21-17, 21-8 in 37 minutes.
Huang and Wang are reigning Olympic mixed doubles champions but couldn't contend with their compatriots pace and accuracy today, Zheng and Huang emerging victorious to claim their first Asian Championships title.
Wang Zhi Yi defeats Yamaguchi Akane in statement win
22-year-old Wang Zhi Yi has made a massive statement here in Manila by defeating World No.2 Yamaguchi Akane to claim her first Asian Championships title, winning by two games to one (15-21, 21-13, 21-19).
The young Chinese shuttler overcame a huge obstacle in the semi-final when she defeated An Se Young for the first time in four attempts and came into the final with renewed confidence.
Wang had to dig deep after she lost the first game 15-19 with World No.2 Yamaguchi looking strong, but China's rising star who won a silver medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games managed to turn it around.
It was a pulsating match that went the distance in an hour and eighteen minutes, with Wang eventually coming out on top.
Currently ranked 17 on the World Tour, expect more to come from China's rising shuttle star.
Asian Championships 2022 - finals schedule on Sunday 1st May
Who made the Asia Championships Badminton finals? Read On!
All finals will be played on Sunday 1 May 2022 with the first match beginning at 1pm local time in Manila, the Philippines (05:00am GMT/UTC).
Order of play and final results:
- Women's singles final: Yamaguchi Akane (JPN) vs. Wang Zhi Yi (CHN) - Wang wins 15-21, 21-13, 21-19
- Mixed doubles final: Zheng Si Wei / Huang Ya Qiong (CHN) vs. Huang Dong Ping / Wang Yi Lyu (CHN) - Zheng/Huang win 21-17, 21-8
- Women's doubles final: Chen Qing Chen / Jia Yi Fan (CHN) vs. Iwanaga Rin / Nakanishi Kie (JPN) - Chen/Jia win 21-11, 21-15
- Men's doubles final: Aaron Chia / Soh Wooi Yik (MAS) vs. Pramudya Kusumawardana / Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan (INA) - Kusumawardana / Rambitan win 23-21, 21-10
- Men's singles final: Jonatan Christie (INA) vs. Lee Zii Jia (MAS) - Lee wins 21-17, 23-21
MORE: Here is everything you need to know about the Asian Championships.
Path to the final
World No. 2 Yamaguchi Akane defeated PV Sindhu in straight games to set up a women's singles title bout with Wang Zhi Yi after the Chinese shuttler beat An Se Young of Korea in the other semi.
It was Wang's first victory over the Korean in four matchups and she defied the odds once more to claim Asian continental honours against Yamaguchi.
The men's singles final will take place after the three doubles finals, Jonatan Christie set up another mouthwatering title duel with Malaysian shuttle star Lee Zii Jia.
Lee ended Chinese player Weng Hong Yang's impressive run in straight games in the semi in just 39 minutes while Christie came out on top of a testing all-Indonesian semi-final, needing an hour to dismiss 23-year-old Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo (21-9, 18-21, 21-16).