China Masters: Naraoka Breaks Title Jinx
The title has taken a while coming, but when it did come, there were no jittery moments, for the distance was too wide. With his 21-13 21-13 result over Kenta Nishimoto, Kodai Naraoka had his first HSBC BWF World…
· DEV SUKUMAR
The title has taken a while coming, but when it did come, there were no jittery moments, for the distance was too wide. With his 21-13 21-13 result over Kenta Nishimoto, Kodai Naraoka had his first HSBC BWF World Tour title from his fifth final.
Naraoka’s was the second title for Japan after Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida had won the women’s doubles. Hosts China claimed the other three, but the last match was a close call with Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang nearly falling to pieces from a dominant position in the most exciting match of the day.
There was plenty at stake for Nishimoto in the men’s singles final, for a victory would see him qualify to the HSBC BWF World Tour Finals 2023. But it was Naraoka who set the terms, dragging his opponent into interminable rallies and true to style, returning from even the most impossible of positions.