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World number one An sends Asian Games warning with China hat-trick / Photo: © CN-STR/AFP
World number one An sends Asian Games warning with China hat-trick
Badminton world number one An Se-young sent a warning for the Asian Games as she clinched her third China Masters title in a row in ominous fashion.
South Korea's reigning Olympic and world champion will defend her crown when the Asian Games begin on September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan.
The 24-year-old will be overwhelming favourite after winning the China Masters on Sunday with a ruthless 21-17, 21-6 demolition of Tomoka Miyazaki in Shenzhen.
An did not drop a game all week on the way to her seventh title of the season.
"I'm so proud of myself. I'm really pleased with the result and I feel so happy," An said.
Despite being the undoubted dominant force in women's badminton once more this year, An said: "There are many players coming up and challenging.
"I don't think any match can be taken lightly."
The men's singles final was surprisingly an all-Hong Kong affair, with world number 32 Jason Gunawan defeating Lee Cheuk-Yiu 21-9, 21-16.
In the men's doubles, India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty beat home duo He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu in a three-game battle.
Shetty and Rankireddy will defend their Asian Games men's doubles title in Japan.
"Going into the Asian Games winning a title definitely reassures us what we are working on is heading in the right direction," said Shetty.
"We will go back home, push ourselves to the limit, train for the next 10 days and go all guns blazing in Japan. We want to go out there and have some fun."
China's Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping won the mixed doubles while Sumire Nakade and Miyu Takahashi of Japan clinched the women's doubles crown.
J.Martinez--SFF
