Kunlavut Vitidsarn won the men's singles at the BWF World Junior Championshipsin Kazan - the third time he has won the title ©BWF

Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand became the first men's singles player to win three Badminton World Federation World Junior Championships as he outclassed Frenchman Christo Popov in the final in Kazan.

Vitidsarn, the top seed, despatched Popov 21-8, 21-11 in a one-sided final at the Kazan Gymnastics Centre in Russia. 

The triumph saw the 18-year-old joins women’s singles compatriot Ratchanok Intanon and China’s Chen Qingchen as a three-time winner of the world junior title.

But he stands alone on the list of men's singles winners following his success in the Russian city today.

"I’m very honoured to match Ratchanok’s record in the juniors, but she is able to do well at the senior level too," said Vitidsarn. 

"This is my last year in the juniors and there was a lot of pressure on me." 

Attack was the key to Riko Gunji's triumph in the women's singles final ©BWF
Attack was the key to Riko Gunji's triumph in the women's singles final ©BWF

The Thai teenager added: "I had some good phases in the match and some not-so-good ones, but I was able to control it overall.

"I just followed my own style and this is another step up for me."

Japan's Riko Gunji, the seventh seed, clinched the women's singles crown by defeating second seed Zhou Meng of China.

Gunji emerged victorious from a tough battle with Zhou, securing the world junior title with a 21-13, 12-21, 21-14 win.

"It was basically about keeping the attack," said the 17-year-old.

"I didn’t attack a lot in the second game and that’s why I lost my way, but then I regained the attack in the last game and was able to dominate her."