Japan End 37-year Drought With Uber Cup Win

Japan's women clinched the Uber Cup on Saturday, breezing by surprise finalists Thailand 3-0 in Bangkok to end a 37-year wait to regain the title.

Bangkok, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th May, 2018 ) :Japan's women clinched the Uber Cup on Saturday, breezing by surprise finalists Thailand 3-0 in Bangkok to end a 37-year wait to regain the title.

With a team stacked with top ranked players in both the singles and doubles, Japan made light work of the hosts, who entered the finals for the first time after stunning China in the semis. It ends an Uber Cup drought for Japan that stretches back to 1981 and is a major confidence boost ahead of the Olympics which they will host in two years' time.

The Uber Cup is second in prestige only to the Olympics as a national team event.

World singles number two Akane Yamaguchi got Japan off to a flyer, dulling the boisterous partisan home crowd with a 21-15, 21-19 win over Ratchanok Intanon, blending deft touches at the net with patience in the rallies and power shots.

Ratchanok, world number four and Thailand's favourite athlete, conceded that she lost concentration after bickering with the umpire early in the second set over his refusal to grant a review. Doubles pair Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota stormed to the second point of the match winning their tie 21-18, 21-12.