Badminton world No. 3 Anders Antonsen fought back from a game down to stun home favourite Kunlavut Vitidsarn 9-21, 24-22, 21-18 and win the 2026 Thailand Open in Bangkok on Sunday (17 May).
Antonsen made amends for last year’s final, in which Vitidsarn had beaten the Dane in another three-game thriller.
After reaching Sunday’s final following reigning world champion Shi Yuqi‘s withdrawal from their semi-final clash, Antonsen endured a wobbly start at Nimibutr Stadium in the Thai capital.
The 29-year-old stayed level at 5-5 in the opening game, but with Vitidsarn dominating the rallies, the home hero clinched the opener in what turned into a marathon contest.
Under pressure, Antonsen finally found his rhythm in the second game before moving Olympic silver medallist Vitidsarn around the court in the decider to wrap up his maiden title win at the Super 500 tournament.
The victory, which came after 1 hour and 37 minutes of battling, was Antonsen’s second this year and eighth overall against Vitidsarn, with the pair having now faced each other a total of 12 times.