Uber Cup 2021 Finals: China beats Japan 3-1, reclaims title

China beat Japan 3-1 in a thrilling Uber Cup final on Saturday in Aarhus, Denmark, to reclaim Uber Cup title.

This is China's 15th Uber Cup title win in 19 finals.

Japan began the final in a stunning fashion when world number five Akane Yamaguchi beat reigning Olympic Champion in women's singles Chen Yu Fei 21-18, 21-10 to give Japan 1-0 lead. Yamaguchi had also beaten Chen Yu Fei at the recent Sudirman Cup.

However, China pulled things back in one of the greatest women's doubles matches of all-time as Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan beat Japan's Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto 29-27, 15-21, 21-18 in a marathon encounter which lasted almost two hours.

World number nine He Bing Jiao then put China ahead by 2-1 after beating Sayaka Takahashi 21-9, 21-18 in the second singles match.

China secured the title by taking an unassailable lead of 3-1 when Huang Dong Ping and Li Wen Mei defeated Misaki Matsutomo and Nami Matsuyama 24-22, 23-21 in another closely-contested doubles match.

Earlier in the day, Indonesia and China beat Denmark and Japan respectively by identical scoreline of 3-1  in the Thomas Cup semifinals to set up the summit clash which will be played on Sunday.