Inthanon, Dan on top of the world

The conqueror of P V Sindhu Ratchanok Inthanon became the first Thailand player ever to win the coveted World women badminton title. The teenager showed no signs of nervousness while upsetting Chinese Olympic champion Li Xuerui 22-20, 18-21, 21-14. The 22-year-old top seed Li was gunning for her first world title. The three-game thriller was a battle of brilliant technical skills and stamina, with Ratchanok pushing a more experienced Li around the court with a huge repertoire of shots.

Ratchanok came back from 19-12 down in the first game to clinch it by two points, with a grim-faced Li fighting back to take the second. But the supremely relaxed Thai looked physically and mentally stronger in the final game, holding on to a lead even though Li threw everything at her. At the end of the match Ratchanok dropped to her knees in tears on court before bowing to an applauding stadium. Meanwhile, China's Lin Dan defended his men's singles title after MalaysianWorld No.1 Lee Chong Wei retired in the men’s singles final.

The top seed retired with muscle cramps when Lin Dan was leading at match point 16-21, 21-13, 20-17. It was the longest match of the day which lasted one hour and 34 minutes. Lee Chong Wei for the second consecutive time had to settle for a silver, having lost the 2011 final also to "Super Dan".

The two greats set up the summit meet nearly an year after their classic showdown at the 2012 London Olympics that was also won by the the Chinese legend won. In London, Lin Dan also became the first player in history to successfully defend his title.
With the title, Lin Dan becomes the most successful and decorated player in the history of the sport with five championship titles in the same category.