Akane Yamaguchi became the first Japanese to win back-to-back women's singles badminton world championships on Sunday, beating China's Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Chen Yufei 21-12, 10-21, 21-14 at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Yamaguchi, the world No. 1, scored seven straight points to take an 8-1 lead in the decisive third game and held off the challenges from her fourth-ranked rival to mark Japan's first time hosting the worlds with a championship.
"I'm happy to get the best result possible at the world championships in Japan," Yamaguchi said. "It was a positive that I could enjoy playing despite the nerves and pressure."