KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — Thai shuttler Kunlavut Vitidsarn celebrated a perfect ending at the Malaysia Open 2026 after winning his first-ever BWF Super 1000 title and receiving the prize from none other than his own idol, Malaysian badminton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil here today.
However, it may not have been the win anyone wanted as his opponent Shi Yu Qi of China retired after trailing 21-23 and 1-6 due to a back injury.
“I feel very happy (to win the Malaysia Open). Yu Qi is top class and I wish him speedy recovery,” he told reporters here today.
Kunlavut also thanked Chong Wei, saying he always gives advice to him on how to control anything on or off the court.
The 2023 world champion now eyes Olympic gold and All England glory.
For the record, this is the first time Kunlavut booked a Super 1000 final since his debut at a Super 1000 event in 2020 and since then, he has played in 17 more, reaching the semifinals on four occasions.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s world number one An Se Young once again showcased her exceptional quality as she clinched the women’s singles title in dramatic fashion, completing a hat-trick of Malaysia Open titles.
After taking the first set 21-15, An appeared on the brink of being forced into a decider when she trailed 9-17 in the second set but the Olympic champion mounted a remarkable comeback to prevail 24-22, sealing victory over China’s Wang Zhi Yi in a gruelling 56-minute encounter.
The win marked An’s 17th victory over Wang in their head-to-head meetings with the Korean star crediting her confidence and commitment to playing her natural game.
She had captured 11 titles from 12 finals contested in the 2025 season.
China’s pair Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning defeated South Korea’s Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee, 21-18, 21-12 to claim the women’s doubles title.
China also clinched the mixed doubles title as Feng Yan Zhe-Huang Dong Ping defeated their fellow compatriots Jiang Zhen Bang-Wei Ya Xin in straight games 21-19, 21-19.
The singles champion walked away with a prize purse of US$101,500 (RM415,490.25) while the doubles champions received US$107,300 (RM439,232.55). — Bernama
