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December 13, 2018

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Momota makes electric start at World Tour Finals in Guangzhou

World champion Kento Momota made a lightning start at the BWF World Tour Finals in Guangzhou yesterday, rampaging past India’s overwhelmed Sameer Verma in just 36 minutes.

The Japanese is looking to put the seal on a breakthrough year in which he has risen to No. 1 in the rankings and become world champion for the first time.

It is all a far cry from 2016, when he was expelled from Japan’s team for the Rio Olympics and banned for more than a year for visiting an illegal casino.

The 24-year-old had too much quality and power for Verma — ranked 14th in the world — thrashing him 21-18, 21-6.

Also untroubled in her opener was the women’s No. 1, Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei, who defeated Zhang Beiwen of the US 21-15, 21-17 in 30 minutes.

There were also wins for India’s PV Sindhu and Thai Ratchanok Intanon, who beat defending women’s champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan and China’s world No.3 Chen Yufei, respectively.




 

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