No upset, the highest World ranking shuttlers won the most prestigious national tournament in Japan
Annual year-end major event, All Japan Champioships took place at Komazawa Olympic park in Tokyo from 27 Nov to 02 Dec. And the outcome was no surprise but producing 5 champions from 5 different teams
In Women’s events, titles were defended by the last year’s champions named Akane YAMAGUCHI and Yuki FUKUSHIMA / Sayaka HIROTA
World no.2 Akane defeated HONG KONG Open winner and World no.5 Nozomi OKUHARA for the first time at their meeting in the final
World no.1 Yuki / Sayaka passed the semifinal with the reigning World champion Wakana NAGAHARA / Mayu MATSUMOTO (World no.3), then won the final against Olympic Gold medalist Ayaka TAKAHASHI / Misaki MATSUTOMO (World no.2)
On the other hand, Men’s titles were grabbed by the former champions, Kento MOMOTA (2015) and Keigo SONODA / Takeshi KAMURA (2015, 16)
World no.1 Kento earned his second crown, World no.3 Keigo / Takeshi won their third after beating World no.9 Kenta NISHIMOTO and no.8 Hiroyuki ENDO / Yuta WATANABE in the final respectively
In Mixed Doubles, no pair could steal even a single game from World no.3 Yuta WATANABE/ Arisa HIGASINO who bagged their second All Japan title in a row
Meanwhile, the future of some National A team members who were ousted early stage at All Japan Championships, is now left in the hands of National team coaches and Nippon Badminton Association (NBA)
Yuki KANEKO / Takuto INOUE and Sayaka SATO lost in the second round uexpectedly. Kazumasa SAKAI, Aya OHORI, Saena KAWAKAMI and Koharu YONEMOTO / Shiho TANAKA reached the quarter-finals only
NBA will announce next season’s member of National A and B teams later this month after evaluating All Japana’s outcome and shuttlers’ performences trough a whole season in 2018
Results of the final
【MS】Kento MOMOTA (1) ＜２１-9,18-２１,２１-11＞Kenta NISHIMOTO (2)
【WS】Akane YAMAGUCHI (1) ＜２１-16,17-２１,２１-11＞Nozomi OKUHARA (2)
【MD】Keigo SONODA / Takeshi KAMURA (1)＜２１-16,２１-15＞Hiroyuki ENDO / Yuta WATANABE (3)
【WD】Ayaka TAKAHASHI / Misaki MATSUTOMO (1)＜15-２１,13-２１＞Yuki FUKUSHIMA / Sayaka HIROTA (2)
【XD】Yuta WATANABE / Arisa HIGASHINO (1)＜２１-17,２１-18＞Takuro HOKI / Wakana NAGAHARA (2)
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Awardees
【Men’s Singles】
champion : Kento MOMOTA (NTT East)
1st runner-up : Kenta NISHIMOTO (Tonami)
2nd runners-up : Kanta TSUNEYAMA (Tonami), Takuma UEDA (Nihon Unisys)
【Women’s Singles】
champion : Akane YAMAGUCHI (Saishunkan)
1st runner-up : Nozomi OKUHARA (Nihon Unisys)
2nd runners-up : Sayaka TAKAHASHI (Nihon Unisys), Mako URUSHIZAKI (San-in Godo Bank)
【Men’s Doubles】
champion : Keigo SONODA / Takeshi KAMURA (Tonami)
1st runner-up : Hiroyuki ENDO / Yuta WATANABE (Nihon Unisys)
2nd runners-up : Yugo KOBAYASHI / Takuro HOKI (Tonami), Hiroki OKAMURA / Masayuki ONODERA (Nihon Unisys / Waseda Univ.)
【Women’s Doubles】
champion : Yuki FUKUSHIMA / Sayaka HIROTA (Gifu Tricky Panders)
1st runner-up : Ayaka TAKAHASHI / Misaki MATSUTOMO (Nihon Unisys)
2nd runners-up : Wakana NAGAHARA / Mayu MATSUMOTO (Hokuto Bank), Ayako SAKURAMOTO / Yukiko TAKAHATA (Yonex)
【Mized Doubles】
champion : Yuta WATANABE / Arisa HIGASHINO (Nihon Unisys)
1st runner-up : Takuro HOKI / Wakana NAGAHARA (Tonami / Hokuto Bank)
2nd runners-up : Yugo KOBAYASHI / Chiharu SHIDA (Tonami / Saishunkan), Kohei GONDO / Ayane KURIHARA (Tonami / Nihon Unisys)
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