Yufei Long Pickleball Triumph Asia: China’s Yufei Long made history by winning the first PPA Tour Asia women’s singles title at the Panas Malaysia Open. The event took place on Championship Sunday at 9Pickle in Kuala Lumpur. Long defeated Nicola Schoeman in a tight 2-1 final, marking a big moment in Asian pickleball.
Yufei Long captured the match 3-11, 12-10, 11-5. She had to save two championship points in the second game. Her victory also earned her 1,000 PPA Tour Asia ranking points.
Women’s Singles Showdown
The final match between Yufei Long and Nicola Schoeman was intense. Both players battled hard from the baseline, hitting difficult passing shots. Long spoke about the challenge.
“It’s literally blood, sweat and tears in the final. Really emotional, pushing the limits, both me and my opponent.We both felt it, just pushing through Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the heat, through everything. It was really a good match. My opponent played really well and pushed me to play my best game. Really proud of this match. I feel like no matter the outcome, even if I had lost, I still would’ve been proud of it.”(Yufei Long)
Long also explained her mindset when she faced match points.
“I knew the score, I thought, ‘OK, maybe I will lose it, but let’s just try my best and fight until the end.’ Turned out, I hit a few good shots and she hit a few mistakes, and I was able to grind through the second set.”(Yufei Long)
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Men’s Singles Final
In the men’s singles, Giang Trinh from Vietnam completed a stunning run. He started in the qualifiers and beat Vanshik Kapadia from India in straight games, 12-10, 11-7.
Vanshik Kapadia had already won the men’s doubles with Harsh Mehta and the mixed doubles with Nicola Schoeman. However, he could not get the third title to complete his Triple Crown.
Women’s Doubles Results
In women’s doubles, Jamie Wei and Xiao Yi Wang-Beckvall from the USA won the championship. They beat Yufei Long and Kwon Mihae of Korea. Long and Wei had played together before, making news during their strong run at the Orange County Cup in the United States.
Looking Ahead
The PPA Tour Asia will continue with the Hong Kong Open. The next tournament is set for August 21 to 24 at Kai Tak Arena. Players will compete for more ranking points and another chance at titles.
This event showed the growing excitement around pickleball in Asia. Players like Yufei Long and Giang Trinh proved that the sport is reaching new heights in the region.
News in Brief: Yufei Long Pickleball Triumph Asia
China’s Yufei Long won the first PPA Tour Asia women’s singles title at the Panas Malaysia Open in Kuala Lumpur. Vietnam’s Giang Trinh claimed the men’s singles crown. The tour continues with the Hong Kong Open in August, marking a strong start for pickleball in Asia.
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