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Thai youngster Kunlavut Vitidsarn has won the BWF World Junior Badminton men’s singles title once again.
In winning a historic third title, Kunlavut denied Frenchman Christo Popov from making history of his own.
Kunlavut beat Popov, looking to be the first French player to lift the title, with an emphatic 21-8, 21-11 win a final that lasted just 36 minutes.
Kunlavut had also won the title in 2017 and 2018, making him only the second shuttler in the tournament history to win three singles titles. Ironically, the other player to achieve the feat was his Thai countrywomen Ratchanok Intanon, who won the women’s singles titles in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Kunlavut would now be looking to emulate his illustrious predecessor by also winning the senior title in the future. Ratchanok won the senior title in 2013, just two years after moving up from the junior ranks.
Only five men’s singles junior champion have gone on to win the senior title and Kunlavut would certainly be gunning to be the sixth. Chinese trio of Sun Jun, Chen Jin and Chen Long together with Viktor Axelsen of Denmark and reigning two time champion Kento Momota are the five.
The Thai shuttler took up the game at the age of seven under the tutelage of his father, who was also the coach. He had enrolled at the Banthongyord Badminton School when Intanon won the 2013 world title.
Kunlavut has been going great guns in the international arena this year, winning five international tournaments – Spanish International, Finnish Open, Polish Open, and the Iran Fajr International.
Kunlavut, currently ranked 48 in the world senior rankings, was was also crowned the Asian Junior Champion in 2019 after losing to India’s Lakshya Sen in the previous year.
Ironically, Lakshya, who is also 18 like Kunlavut, is concentrating on breaking into the senior level and won the men’s singles title at the Dutch Open today.
His 15-21, 21-14, 21-15 win over Japan’s Yusuke Onodera gave him a maiden BWF World Tour title.
Lakshya, currently ranked 72nd, had won the Belgian Open last month and reached the finals of Polish Open this year. He had also won the Asian Junior Championships, a silver at Youth Olympic Games and a bronze medal at World Junior Championships last year.
With Kunlavut poised to move up the ranks soon, expect the duo to be among the young players to watch in the senior circuit.
WORLD JUNIOR RESULTS
Men’s singles: Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) bt Chrsito Popov (Fra) 21-8, 21-11
Men’s doubles: Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin (Ina) beat Di Zi Jian-Wang Chang (Chn) 21-19, 21-18
Women’s singles: Riko Gunji (Jpn) beat Zhou Meng (Chn) 21-13, 12-21, 21-14
Women’s doubles: Lin Fang Ling-Zhou Xin Ru beat Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Amalia Cahaya Pratiwi (Ina) 22-10, 11-21, 21-14
Mixed doubles: Feng Yan Zhe-Lin Fang Ling (Chn) beat Leo Rolly Carnando-Indah Chaya Sari Jamil 21-17, 21-17
DUTCH OPEN RESULTS
Men’s singles: Lakshya Sen (Ind) beat Yusuke Onodera (Jpn) 15-21, 21-14, 21-15
Men’s doubles: Vladimir Ivanov-Ivan Sozonov (Rus) beat Mark Lamfuss-Marvin Seidel (Ger) 21-19, 21-16
Women’s singles: Wang Zhi Yi (Chn) beat Evgeniya Kosetskaya (Rus) 21-14, 21-18
Women’s doubles: Gabriela Stoeva-Stefani Stoeva (Bul) beat Rin Iwagana-Kie Nakanishi (Jpn) 21-10, 22-20
Mixed doubles: Robin Tabeling-Selena Piek (Net) beat Chris Adcock-Gabrielle Adcock (Eng) 21-17, 21-13
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