China's Shi Yuqi clinches second BWF World Tour Finals title

NEW DELHI: China's Shi Yuqi delivered a commanding performance to defeat Denmark's Anders Antonsen and secure the men's singles title at the BWF World Tour Finals on Sunday, contributing to China's impressive haul of three titles.The women's singles final in Hangzhou featured an all-Chinese contest, where Wang Zhiyi demonstrated resilience to overcome Han Yue 19-21, 21-19, 21-11 in a 74-minute encounter.Shi secured his victory against Antonsen with scores of 21-18, 21-14 in 52 minutes, claiming the prestigious championship for the second time, following his previous success in 2018."Playing at home makes me very happy," said the 28-year-old Shi, who celebrated by circling the venue and tossing his shirt to spectators."These people are very passionate and supportive," he added.Viktor Axelsen, the Danish two-time Olympic champion, was absent from defending his title in China due to an injury withdrawal before the tournament.The hosts celebrated additional success as mixed doubles pair Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong successfully defended their title against Malaysia's Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei in three games.The tournament marked a significant moment for 27-year-old Olympic gold medallist Zheng, who had previously declared his retirement from badminton after this competition.The women's doubles crown went to South Korea's Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee, whilst Danish pair Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen emerged victorious in the men's doubles final.