Lin Chun-yi, Wang Zhiyi clinch maiden All England titles

BIRMINGHAM – Chinese Taipei has a new badminton star in Lin Chun-yi, following his victory in the All England Open men’s singles final on March 8.

The 26-year-old said after his victory that he felt “overwhelmed” by the occasion, but he kept his cool during his clash against India’s Lakshya Sen when it mattered most.

The world No. 11 had to endure a nervy end to the match as he beat his 12th-ranked opponent 21-15, 22-20 at the Utilita Arena Birmingham.

“I felt super overwhelmed and the crowd cheered for me throughout. Thank you all,” said Lin, who also won the Super 750 India Open in January.

“This is the most prestigious tournament and it feels great to be the champion. I am very honoured. I would like to thank each and everyone who have came to cheer for me. Thank you.”

He added in a post-match interview: “Being able to win it is a dream come true. I remember during Covid times, I saw my teammates playing in this tournament and I was very excited.

“From watching it on TV to now being able to play it physically, it feels very unbelievable. Sen is a very solid player, especially during the second game I was playing against the drift... it was very hard for me to attack.

“All the players I played against (this week) were all different types of players, I tried to challenge them and I wanted to let them know that I am not an easy player either.”

Earlier in the competition, Sen defeated world No. 1 and 2025 winner Shi Yuqi of China in the opening round and world No. 6 Li Shifeng, the reigning Asian Games champion, in the quarter-finals.

The Indian also had to battle through a tough 97-minute semi-clash encounter against Canadian Victor Lai in which he fought through cramps and blisters. All those factors, along with fatigue, could have played a part as he could not match up to Lin’s physicality, especially in the first game.

Lin, who stunned former world champion and 2024 Paris Olympics runner-up Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the semi-finals, set the tone early and made good use of his brilliant smashes to get a head start on Sen.

The second game was much closer, with the 24-year-old Sen using his guile against the powerful strokes of Lin. It worked to some extent, as he had a 9-4 lead at one stage but gradually lost steam.

In a thrilling end to the title decider, Sen saved a match point in his attempt to stay in the contest but eventually lost in straight games.

He has now lost his second All England Open final in five years – following his defeat by Danish star Viktor Axelsen in 2022.

Prakash Padukone (1980) and Pullela Gopichand (2001) are the only Indian players to have won the prestigious singles title.

“It was a good match today. In the first game, he (Lin) was a better player... second game I could have (done more) but I’m happy with the way I played throughout the week,” said Sen.

“(My physical condition) is not ideal, to be honest. But when I was playing on court today I was not thinking about anything than to give my best. It could have been better, but I gave everything.”

With his victory, Lin extended his head-to-head record against the Indian to 5-0. More crucially, he became the first Chinese Taipei men’s singles player to win the All England Open title.

The retired Tai Tzu-ying won the women’s singles title three times – in 2017, 2018 and 2020.

It was a perfect day for the Chinese Taipei team, as earlier in the day Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan triumphed in the mixed doubles final.

The duo defeated France’s Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue 21-19, 21-18.

“Because we weren’t seeded, we just tried (our best) to challenge our opponents and I’m very happy that we did it,” Ye said after the victory.

In the women’s singles final, China’s world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi put up a battling display to beat top-ranked South Korean An Se-young 21-15, 21-19 in a rematch of the 2025 title decider.

The 25-year-old claimed her first All England title and is the first Chinese women’s singles player to win the tournament since Chen Yufei in 2019.

Wang also ended a 10-match losing run against An. Her previous victory against the reigning Olympic champion came in the semi-finals of the BWF World Tour Finals in December 2024.