Pitchamon Opatniputh missed out on winning her first World Tour Super 300 title after losing in the final of the US$240,000 BWF Taipei Open on Sunday.
The 18-year-old Thai, ranked 77th in the world, put on a brave performance against No.8 Tomako Miyazaki but the Japanese prevailed in three games in the women's singles decider at the Taipei Arena.
Miyazaki, also 18, easily took the first game 21-12, but Pitchamon battled hard to take the second 22-20 and sent the match to the deciding third.
In the end it was Miyazaki, who finished stronger and took the third 21-14 to seal the match in just over an hour. The Japanese has now won all of their four meetings.
The Taipei Open title would have been the former world junior champion's biggest career win so far. Pitchamon won the KL Masters Malaysia Super 100 event in 2023.
Pitchamon, who won the world junior title in 2023, knocked out last year's winner Sim Yu-Jin of South Korea in the semi-finals on Saturday.
In other finals on Sunday, women's doubles top seeds Hsieh Pei-shan and Hung En-tzu, men's doubles pair Wang Chi-lin and Chiu Hsiang-chieh delighted home fans with their victories.
However second seed Loh Kean Yew of Singapore defeated top seed Chou Tien-chen 21-14, 15-21, 22-20 in the men's singles final, denying the Taiwanese a record-equalling fifth title to match compatriot Tai Tzu-ying.
The 18-year-old Thai, ranked 77th in the world, put on a brave performance against No.8 Tomako Miyazaki but the Japanese prevailed in three games in the women's singles decider at the Taipei Arena.
Miyazaki, also 18, easily took the first game 21-12, but Pitchamon battled hard to take the second 22-20 and sent the match to the deciding third.
In the end it was Miyazaki, who finished stronger and took the third 21-14 to seal the match in just over an hour. The Japanese has now won all of their four meetings.
The Taipei Open title would have been the former world junior champion's biggest career win so far. Pitchamon won the KL Masters Malaysia Super 100 event in 2023.
Pitchamon, who won the world junior title in 2023, knocked out last year's winner Sim Yu-Jin of South Korea in the semi-finals on Saturday.
In other finals on Sunday, women's doubles top seeds Hsieh Pei-shan and Hung En-tzu, men's doubles pair Wang Chi-lin and Chiu Hsiang-chieh delighted home fans with their victories.
However second seed Loh Kean Yew of Singapore defeated top seed Chou Tien-chen 21-14, 15-21, 22-20 in the men's singles final, denying the Taiwanese a record-equalling fifth title to match compatriot Tai Tzu-ying.
