India's Sourabh Verma wins Vietnam badminton tournament

Verma, who was the second seed in the tournament, came back from a mid-game loss to beat Sun 21-12, 17-21 and 21-14 in a game that lasted for an hour and 12 minutes.

The victory fetched him the men's single title and the $75,000 prize.

Verma beat three Japanese players – Kodai Naraoka, Yu Igarashi and Minoru Koga on his way to the title.

Vietnamese badminton ace Nguyen Tien Minh also participated in the tournament in Ho Chi Minh City, but his run stopped at the quarterfinals, losing 0-2 to the new champion Verma. Minh had beaten Verma twice earlier, in 2013 and 2018, but couldn't recreate victory this time.

Vietnam's badminton star Nguyen Tien Minh at the Vietnam Open BWF Tour Super 100 2019. Photo VnExpress/Duc Dong.

Verma is currently 38th in world rankings, while Minh is 62nd, far from his previous high of world number four in 2010. Despite playing on home ground, Minh lost 13-21, 18-21 in just 43 minutes.

The Vietnam Open BWF Tour Super 100 2019 was held September 10-15 in Ho Chi Minh City. It had 294 players from 24 countries and territories competing in five categories.

This tournament, held every year, is also a chance for players to accumulate points for the 2020 Olympics.