World number one Kento Momota breezed past reigning Indonesia Masters badminton champion Anthony Sinisuka Ginting 21-9, 21-10 on Friday to secure a semi-final spot.
Momota, who is Japan’s first male badminton player to hold the world number one ranking, was in control almost the entire game as he defeated last year’s winner and crowd favourite Ginting in 43 minutes.
“Ginting played quite well today because a couple times his attacks were deadly and I had problems. But maybe because I already anticipated them I could play well today,” 24-year-old Momota said in Jakarta.
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Ginting previously defeated Momota when the two players met in Jakarta at the 2018 Asian Games.
But the Indonesian said he put his all into today’s match-up.
“I have tried everything — attacked first, played with initiative, speed up my tempo,” Ginting said.
Despite Ginting’s loss, Indonesia still managed to secure a place in the men’s semi-final after Jonatan Christie won 21-18, 21-19 against Kidambi Srikanth from India.
Indonesia’s female double powerhouse Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu also won against Thailand’s Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai in three sets 21-16, 17-21, 21-13.
In the men’s double, Indonesia’s Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan also won against Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen from China with 21-16 and 21-12.
The country’s favourite mixed doubles team Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir also went on to the semis after winning against Takuro Hoki and Wakana Nagahara from Japan with 21-16, 21-14.
They will play Malaysian Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying in the semi-final, who won 21-11, 22-20 against the Danish pair of Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith.
In the men’s doubles Han Chengkai and Zhou Haodong from China won 23-21, 21-19 against Hiroyuki Endo and Yuta Watanabe from Japan.
But Japan shined in the women’s double after Misaki Matsutomo and Ayakan Takahashi won against the Chinese duo Du Yue and Li Yinhui 21-13, 21-15.
Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/badminton-star-momota-defeats-indonesia-masters-2018-champ/
