mobanmarketSeoul: Top-ranked Kento Momota of Japan clinched the men’s singles title at the Korea Open badminton tournament on Sunday with a win over No. 2 Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan.
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The 25-year-old downed Chou 21-19, 21-17 in a final that lasted 53 minutes.
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Momota, with over 300 wins under his belt, saw his career descend into controversy in 2016 when he was suspended for more than a year for visiting an illegal casino and was denied a spot at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
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The Japanese star, who was world No. 1 at the time, has since worked his way back to the top and Sunday’s win raises his Olympic hopes a year ahead of the Tokyo Games.
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In the women’s final, China’s He Bingjiao defeated Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 18-21, 24-22, 21-17.
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