Thai badminton star wins Korea Masters

Thailand's top badminton star Kunlavut "View" Vitidsarn powered to his first title of 2024, clinching the Korea Masters crown in straight games over China’s Wang Zheng Xing in Iksan, South Korea, on Sunday.
 

The tournament, a prestigious BWF (Badminton World Federation)
 World Tour Super 300 event, came with a prize pool of US$210,000 (about 7,140,000 baht).

Paris Olympic silver medallist Kunlavut, the tournament's top seed and ranked fifth in the world, faced off against the unseeded yet determined Wang, currently ranked 55th. 

Wang came out strong, quickly leading 5-1 in the first game and extending his advantage to 9-4 with sharp, well-placed attacks.

Kunlavut then found his stride, launching a counter-attack that earned him 5 consecutive points to level the score at 9-9. The players exchanged points in a thrilling battle, but Kunlavut capitalised on key moments to take the first game 21-18.

 Wang opened the second game in similar fashion, pushing ahead 6-4 with a series of precise smashes. However, Kunlavut stayed composed, turning the tables with a strong offensive run that put him up 13-11. The momentum continued to swing, but Kunlavut ultimately closed out the game 21-18, securing the title with a 2-0 victory.

This Korea Masters win marks Kunlavut’s first title since his triumph at the World Championships in 2023, and he becomes the first Thai player in 17 years to capture this title. This is his fourth title on the BWF World Tour. 

The victory comes with a reward of $15,700 (about 533,800 baht), while runner-up Wang will take home $7,980 (about 271,320 baht).