The Japanese duo beat Thailand B's Yupa Phukrongploy and Usa Tenpaksee in a hard-fought three-set thriller 12-21 21-17 15-9.

In the semifinals earlier, Yupa and Usa, the SEA Games silver medallists, stunned Japan B's Shinako Tanaka and Eiko Koizumi 21-13 19-21 15-12, while Thailand A's Kamolthip Kulna and Jarunee Sannok succumbed in two sets 18-21 20-22 to the Kusuhara-Urata duo in the other semifinal.

Kamolthip and Jarunee made amends to take third place in the play-off against Shinako and Eiko, who they lost to in the final of the last year's World Challenger, 2-1 (21-18 18-21 15-12).

In the final, Chiaki and Satoko came from behind to beat Yupa and Usa to claim the US$1,300 prize money plus the trophy.

"We thought we were strong enough to beat them but we made a lot of unforced errors. However, we're satisfied with what we have done. We achieved the goal we set ourselves," said Yupa. Yupa and Usa took home a trophy plus $1,000, while Kamolthip and Jarunee received $800 and a trophy.

Meanwhile, Indonesia B team's Agus Salim and Supriadi failed to make their mark in the final, where they went down to New Zealand A's Jason Lochhead and Kirk Pitman 1-2 sets (13-21 21-18 10-15).

Champions Lochhead and Pitman claimed $1,300 plus a trophy, while runners-up Agus and Supriadi pocketed $1,000.

Kazakhstan A's Vorobyev Dmitriy and Zabuslayev Pavel stunned last month's Asian champions and top seeds Andy Ardiyansyan and Koko Prasetyo from Indonesia A in straight sets (23-21 26-24) to take the third place.

Yesterday's results

Semifinals

Men: 2-Agus Salim/Supriadi (Indonesia B) b 1-Andy Ardiyansyan/Koko Prasetyo (Indonesia A) 2-0 (21-14 21-12); 3-Jason Lochhead/Kirk Pitman (New Zealand A) b 5-Vorobyev Dmitriy/Zabuslayev Pavel (Kazakhstan A) 2-0 (21-17 21-17).

Women: 1-Chiaki Kusuhara/Satoko Urata (Japan A) b 3-Kamolthip Kulna/Jarunee Sannok (Thailand A) 2-0 (21-18 22-20); 4-Yupa Phukrongploy/Usa Tenpaksee (Thailand B) b 2-Shinaka Tanaka/Eiko Koizumi (Japan B) 2-1 (23-21 19-21 15-12).

Third-place play-offs

Men: 5-Vorobyev Dmitriy/Zabuslayev Pavel (Kazakhstan A) b 1-Andy Ardiyansyan/Koko Prasetyo (Indonesia A) 2-0 (23-21 26-24).

Women: 3-Kamolthip Kulna/Jarunee Sannok (Thailand A) b 2-Shinaka Tanaka/Eiko Koizumi (Japan B) 2-1 (21-18 18-21 15-12).

Finals

Men: 3-Jason Lochhead/Kirk Pitman (New Zealand A) b 2-Agus Salim/Supriadi (Indonesia B) 2-1 (21-13 18-21 15-10).

Women: 1-Chiaki Kusuhara/Satoko Urata (Japan A) b 4-Yupa Phukrongploy/Usa Tenpaksee (Thailand B) 2-1 (12-21 21-17 15-9).

Final rankings

Men: 1. New Zealand A; 2. Indonesia B; 3. Kazakhstan A; 4. Indonesia A; 5. Thailand A, Thailand C; 7. Kazakhstan B; Japan A; 9. Australia B, Malaysia B, Japan B; 13. Sri Lanka, Hong Kong A, Singapore B, Thailand B; 17. Laos, Philippines, Hong Kong B, Australia A, Malaysia A.

Women: 1. Japan A; 2. Thailand B; 3. Thailand A; 4. Japan B; 5. Australia, Thailand C; 7. Vietnam A, Indonesia; 9. Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kazakhstan A, New Zealand B; 13. Kazakhstan B, Singapore A, Vietnam B, New Zealand A, Singapore B, Laos and Sri Lanka.

Somporn Suphop

The Nation

Phatthalung