Reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin bolstered her chances of defending her title in Tokyo later this year after claiming the Thailand Open in Bangkok Sunday over top seed Tai Tzu-ying. Despite having a cold, fourth seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark was electric in the men's final against Hong Kong's Angus Long, ranked eighth, claiming the title in straight sets. Spaniard Marin, 27, a former world number one, was an imposing force with razor-sharp smashes, clever network and an unmatched level of aggression and agility.

She screamed in delight as she won match point in the second set after steam-rolling her 26-year-old opponent from Taiwan 21-9, 21-16 in 42 minutes.

Source: NDTV