Japan’s former world champion Nozomi Okuhara won her first title since November 2018 on Sunday with victory in the Denmark Open final.
The 25-year-old defeated 2016 Olympic gold medallist and three-time world champion Carolina Marin 21-19, 21-17.
“Compared to other opponents, Marin is faster and has a harder attack. I was focused on defence and footwork, and my feet moved very well today. Overall the match went well,” said Okuhara, whose last title came at Hong Kong in 2018.
Marin admitted she had made too many errors.
“I think the main reason was the mistakes I made. I made all the winners but also all the errors. The game was on me,” said the 27-year-old Spanish star.
In the men’s final, Anders Antonsen defeated fellow Dane Rasmus Gemke 18-21, 21-19, 21-12.
The Denmark Open was the first top-level international badminton tournament in seven months after the calendar was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.