Double delight: Indians win China Open finals

Kidambi Srikanth overpowers two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan to win men's title; Saina Nehwal wins over Japanese teenager Akane Yamaguchi.

India's Kidambi Srikanthposes with the winner's plate during the awards ceremony after beating Lin Dan of China to win the men's singles title at the Badminton China Open. -AFP

Indian players Kidambi Srikanth and Saina Nehwal clinched the singles titles at the China Open on Sunday, with Srikanth overcoming superstar Lin Dan in straight games to take the men’s crown.

The world number 16, who was appearing in only his first World Superseries final, took 46 minutes to defeat China’s double Olympic champion and seize a 21-19, 21-17 win.

The 21-year-old was 17-19 down in the first game, before taking the final four points to march to an early lead over the five-time world champion.

Srikanth then finished strongly in the second game, dropping only two of the final nine points as he closed in on a famous victory against the home favourite.

In the women’s singles, Olympic bronze medallist Nehwal won her first China Open title as she overcame Japanese teenager Akane Yamaguchi.

Eighteen-year-old Yamaguchi has had a fairytale tournament, knocking out top seed Wang Shixian in the second round before defeating South Korean fifth seed Bae Yeon-Ju in the semis to claim her place in the final.

But Nehwal proved too much for the rising star as the world number five secured a 21-12, 22-20 victory in 42 minutes.

The Indian was sixth seed in Fuzhou and playing her second World Superseries final of the year, after beating Spain’s Carolina Marin to take the Australian Open title in June.