China won its sixth consecutive Sudirman Cup on Sunday, defeating Japan, which had reached the final for the first time.
China swept Japan 3-0 in a series of tightly contested matches during the final day of the event, with Chinese superstar Lin Dan winning his men’s singles match against Japan’s Takuma Ueda 21-15, 21-13.
China’s Li Xuerui, the top-seeded women’s singles player, exchanged leads with her opponent Akane Yamaguchi in the first game, but eventually won 23-21, 21-14.
China’s Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan also contributed to the nation’s tenth win at the Sudirman Cup, which was first held in 1989, winning 21-17, 20-22, 21-17 in a tight men’s doubles against Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa.
The results: China bt Japan 3-0 (Lin Dan bt Takuma Ueda 21-15, 21-13; Li Xuerui bt Akane Yamaguchi 23-21, 21-14; Fu Haifeng & Zhang Nan bt Hiroyuki Endo & Kenichi Hayakawa 21-17, 20-22, 21-17.
