Swiss Open: Koki Watanabe Emerges Surprise Winner
World No.37 Koki Watanabe completed an impressive journey to his first HSBC BWF World Tour title as he outplayed Chou Tien Chen in the men's singles final of the YONEX Swiss Open 2023 today.
· BWF STAFF
There were other first-time winners of the Super 300 level – mixed doubles champions Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin, and Rena Miyaura, who won the women’s doubles with Ayako Sakuramoto, a past Swiss Open champion with a different partner.
Watanabe, who was promoted to the main draw from the qualifiers' list, proved more than a match for his veteran opponent, taking the title 22-20 21-18 21-12 in 74 minutes. Watanabe’s previous best at a tournament of this level was a semifinal finish at the YONEX Chinese Taipei Open in 2019.
“Chou was the favourite, so I had to go all out and just play my best game and not worry about how he would play,” said the champion. “I knew it would be tough. My strategy was to keep attacking and not wait for his mistakes.”