More Sports Oct 25, 2021
Japan collects three titles on final day of Denmark Open; No. 1 Kento Momota comes up short
No. 2 seed Akane Yamaguchi took the women's singles title when No. 5 seed An Se-young was forced to retire in the third game.
More Sports Mar 13, 2020
Akane Yamaguchi and Nozomi Okuhara have ensured their places at the Tokyo Olympics by advancing Thursday to the women's singles quarterfinals at the All England Open Badminton Championships. World No. 3 Yamaguchi beat compatriot Sayaka Takahashi 21-13, 21-15 in the round of 16, while fourth-ranked ...
More Sports Oct 29, 2019
Badminton standout Nozomi Okuhara reaches No. 1 in women's singles world rankings
Nozomi Okuhara has become the second Japanese to be ranked No. 1 in women's singles, according to the Badminton World Federation's latest list released on Tuesday. The 24-year-old Okuhara — an Olympic bronze medalist and 2017 world champion — follows in the footsteps of current ...
More Sports Aug 21, 2019
No. 1 Yamaguchi upset by No. 32 Yeo during world championships
World No. 1 Akane Yamaguchi suffered an upset defeat to 32nd-ranked Yeo Jia-min of Singapore 2-0 in the second round of the women's singles at the badminton world championships on Tuesday. Playing in her opening match, Yamaguchi, who is recovering from a lower back injury, ...
More Sports Jul 28, 2019
Kento Momota and Akane Yamaguchi capture titles at badminton's Japan Open
World champion and world No. 1 Kento Momota defended his men's singles title with a straight-sets win, while Akane Yamaguchi beat Nozomi Okuhara in an all-Japanese women's singles final at the Japan Open on Sunday. Playing in front of a cheering home crowd, Momota won ...
More Sports Mar 4, 2019
Kento Momota, Akane Yamaguchi win as Japan dominates German Open
Kento Momota and Akane Yamaguchi won the men's and women's singles finals, respectively, to complete a dominant showing by Japanese players at the Badminton World Federation German Open on Sunday. World champion Momota, 24, outdueled Kenta Nishimoto 21-10, 21-16 to take the men's crown in ...
More Sports Dec 15, 2018
Nozomi Okuhara, Kento Momota book spots in title matches at BWF World Tour Finals
Nozomi Okuhara advanced to the women's singles title match of badminton's BWF World Tour Finals with a straight-games victory over compatriot Akane Yamaguchi on Saturday. In the men's draw, world No. 1 Kento Momota also moved on to the singles final with a convincing win ...
More Sports Dec 2, 2018
World No. 1 Kento Momota won his second badminton national championship on Sunday, beating Kenta Nishimoto in the men's singles final. Momota, the reigning world champion, defeated world No. 9 Nishimoto 21-9, 18-21, 21-11 at Tokyo's Komazawa Gymnasium. The 24-year-old Momota won his maiden championship in ...
More Sports Sep 27, 2018
Kento Momota becomes first Japanese man to reach No. 1 in badminton world rankings
Kento Momota on Thursday topped the latest Badminton World Federation rankings for men's singles following his runner-up finish at the recent China Open. The reigning world and Asian champion becomes the first Japanese man to reach No. 1 in the BWF standings in either singles ...
More Sports Aug 27, 2018
Olympic champions Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi lose Asian Games badminton doubles final
Misaki Matsutomo and her partner Ayaka Takahashi gave up leads in both games on the way to losing the women's doubles badminton final 2-0 to Chinese pair Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan at the Asian Games on Monday. Despite rallying in the second game to ...
More Sports Aug 23, 2018
Japan women's badminton, men's fencing teams nab gold medals at Asian Games
The Japan women's badminton team won gold at the Asian Games for the first time since 1970 on Wednesday, despite the slump of its top player, beating China 3-1 in the final and preventing it from claiming its sixth consecutive win in this event. Singles ...
More Sports Aug 22, 2018
Japan wins first Asian Games gold in women's team badminton since 1970
The Japan women's badminton team won gold at the Asian Games for the first time since 1970, beating China 3-1 in the final on Wednesday. Singles world No. 2 Akane Yamaguchi's nightmare tournament continued into the final, with the 21-year-old again dropping the first rubber ...