Still not good enough

Running out of steam: Tan Boon Heong (left) and Hendra Setiawan were beaten by world No. 5 Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda of Japan in the final of the Australian Open in Sydney on Sunday.

PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles pair Tan Boon Heong-Hendra Setiawan have come up short in their bid for a first badminton title.

Malaysian Boon Heong teamed up with former world and Olympic champion Hendra of Indonesia in January and the pair were beaten by world No. 5 Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda of Japan in the final of the Australian Open in Sydney on Sunday.

World No. 30 Boon Heong-Hendra, who were making their first final appearance after 12 tournaments, ran out of steam as the energetic Japanese pair romped to a 21-17, 21-19 win in 37 minutes.

Kamura-Sonoda’s win ensured that Japan emerged as the biggest winners in Australia.

Olympic gold medallists Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi claimed the women’s doubles title after thrashing Danes Kamilla Rytter Juhl-Christinna Pedersen 21-10, 21-13 while Nozomi Okuhara won the women’s singles crown after beating compatriot Akane Yamaguchi 21-12, 21-23, 21-17.

India’s K. Srikanth scored the biggest win of the day – dumping Olympic gold medallist Chen Long for the first time in his career – to clinch the men’s singles crown.

World No. 11 Srikanth, who also won the Indonesian Open last week, defeated world No. 6 Chen Long 22-20, 21-16 in 46 minutes.