BANGKOK: World No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn delivered a masterclass performance to subdue Denmark's Anders Antonsen and capture the men’s singles title at the Toyota Thailand Open 2025 in front of a jubilant home crowd at the Nimibutr National Stadium on Sunday.
Despite holding a modest 1-6 head-to-head record against the two-time European champion, the 2023 world champion summoned a near-flawless blend of tactical shot selection, relentless attack, and remarkable court coverage to outclass world No. 3 Antonsen 21-16, 17-21, 21-9.
The energetic support from 3,000 passionate fans spurred him to his second Thailand Open title, the first coming two years ago at Hua Mark Indoor Stadium.
“This is beyond expectations—he was playing incredibly well in the semifinals. I didn’t think I was going to win; I just tried to give my all because so many fans came to support me. I’m really grateful,” said Kunlavut in a post-match interview.
“Looking at the previous results, I had lost to him most of the time. So I went into the court without pressure, trying to learn from him. Honestly, it was the fans who kept me going. If this were another tournament, I might have been done already,” added the Thai star.
Kunlavut has now won three titles in 2025, including the Indonesia Masters in January and the Asian Championships in China last month. With six BWF World Tour titles under his belt, he’s hungry for more.
“I want my fourth, fifth, and seventh titles to keep coming. There are still aspects of my game I need to improve if I want to win more,” he said. He now plans to take a one-week break before heading into the Super 750 and 1000 events in Singapore and Indonesia.
Kunlavut's triumph brought some relief to Thai fans after hometown hope Pornpawee Chochuwong fell to Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei of China, 16-21, 12-21, in the women’s singles final.
In the other final matchups, Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik edged out Denmark’s William Kryger Boe and Christian Faust Kjaer in a gripping men’s doubles final, winning 22-20 21017 21-12, to claim their second title of the season. In the women’s doubles, Malaysian duo Pearly Tan and Thinnah Muralitharan held their nerve to overcome South Korea’s Jeong Na-eun and Lee Yeon-woo in straight games, prevailing 21-16, 21-17.
Meanwhile, in mixed doubles, China’s Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping beat compatriots Gao Jiaxuan and Wu Mengying 24-22, 21-16 to lift the title. - The Nation/ANN
