After silencing the home crowd on Friday by defeating Lakshya Sen, then taking down World Championships bronze medallist Victor Lai on Saturday, Lin Chun-Yi defeated crowd favourite and world number 4 Jonatan Christie on Sunday to clinch the India Open Super 75 men’s singles title.
The Chinese Taipei shuttler, known for his fast and attacking game, gave Christie no chance in the opener and troubled him with pace from the very first shot. He finished the men’s singles final in 38 minutes, prevailing 21-10, 21-18 in straight games.
“I’m very happy to win my first Super 750 title. It shows that I can stand on my own feet. My goal is to be in the top 10 in the world this year. Perseverance is the key, whether I win or lose,” he told the reporters after his win.
Currently ranked number 12 in the world, Lin stunned a few Indonesian fans, along with the Indian crowd who were rooting for Christie. He took an early 11-5 lead using his smashes effectively and Christie could barely match his speed. When asked how he brings so much speed in his game, Lin said, “I have practiced a lot in order to play fast. Even when I am playing the matches, I gradually increase the speed, which confuses my opponents.”
Christie also struggled with the windy conditions on the court, which favoured the speedy game of Lin. While he put up a good fight in the second game, Lin made a stunning comeback to take six consecutive points from 15-18. Things were not looking good for Lin when he arrived in India as he was nursing a muscle strain sustained during the Malaysia Open Super 1000 tournament. He had trouble walking initially but decided to compete nevertheless. “I didn’t feel very good in Malaysia, but I felt freer on court in India. I am happy because I didn’t plan to play earlier as my foot didn’t feel great,” Lin added further.
Lin has been making his mark in flashes over the past two years and is considered one of the best left-handed male shuttlers at the moment. He hopes that this is the start of something special. “I can’t express it, but it is a very different feeling this time. Perhaps that feeling is awakening in me and I am looking forward to winning a lot more matches,” he told BWF.
Story continues below this ad
Drama in mixed doubles
After both the singles finals turned out to be one-sided affairs, the mixed doubles final between Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran (Thailand) and Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boe (Denmark) brought the proverbial roof down.
The Danish pair displayed their attacking side and used smashes to kill every lift of their opponents to win the first game 21-19. They looked on course to win the title with a 16-14 lead in the second game.
However, the world number 4 Thai pair had other ideas, and they grinded out the rallies with deception and some incredible defence. From 16-16 to 23-23, both pairs kept at each other, with the Thai pair saved four match points. At 24-23, Boe lifted one wide, handing the game to the Thai pair who endured the decider and came out on top to win the title with 21-18 in the final game.
Story continues below this ad
India Open 2026 mixed doubles runners-up Mathias Christiansen & Alexandra Boje of Denmark (L) and winners Dechapol Puavaranukroh & Supissara Paewsampran of Thailand (R). (PHOTO: BAI)
The drama was incredible as the Danes failed to capitalise on their lead and the Thai pair changed their strategy to not lift at all. “If we lift, we die. I know they really attack when we lift,” Dechapol told BWF about the strategy that helped them.
In the men’s doubles, Olympic silver medallist Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang of China were given a run for money by unseeded Japanese pair Hiroki Midorikawa and Kyohei Yamashita, who had beaten Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. However, the world number five pair came back after losing the first game and won the title with a score of 17-21, 25-23, 21-16.
In women’s singles, An Se-young unsurprisingly prevailed, dominating world No 2 Wang Zhi Yi 21-13, 21-11 in the most one-sided final of the day.
RESULTS:
- Men’s singles: Lin Chun-Yi (TPE) bt 3-Jonatan Christie (INA) 21-10, 21-18
- Women’s singles: 1-An Se Young (KOR) bt 2-Wang Zhi Yi (CHN) 21-13, 21-11
- Women’s doubles: 1-Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning (CHN) bt 5-Yuki Fukushima/Mayu Matsumoto (JPN) 21-11,21-18
- Mixed doubles: 3- Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Supissara Paewsampran (THA) bt. Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Boje (DEN) 19-21, 25-23, 21-18
- Men’s Doubles: 4-Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang (CHN) bt Hiroki Midorikawa/Kyohei Yamashita (JPN) 17-21, 25-23, 21-16
