Superb Lee, Wang emerge champs

World No 1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia beat strong contender Chen Long of China to bag the men’s singles title in the All England championship here on Sunday.

Lee Chong won the match 21-13, 21-18. In the women’s single’s final, China’s Wang Shi Xian beat compatriot Li Xuerui 21-19, 21-18 to lift the title.

In the semifinals, played on Saturday, Lee Chong was made to sweat during a 14-21, 21-19, 21-15 win over Son Wan Ho, the in-form World No 11 from Korea, after being close to the exit at a game down and 15-17 and 17-18 down in the second.
In those difficult moments, Lee played his most controlled badminton, either deep to the back-line or tight to the net, and picked his moments perceptively to apply the sudden moments of pressure which took him to his sixth successive All England Open final.

Son, by contrast, tended to over-press in the crises after playing a superb match in which he took advantage of Lee’s error-tinged first game and also pushed on to an early four-point lead in the final game.

Chen He was masterful in defence against compatriot Wang Zhengming, the rising world number nine, winning 21-17, 21-14 and was patient in working openings to attack.


Results: Final: (Men’s): Singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mal) bt Chen Long (Chn) 21-13, 21-18; Doubles: Ahsan Mohammad/Setiawan Hendra (Indo) bt Endo Hiroyuki/Kenchi Hayakawa (Jap) 21-19, 21-19; Women’s: Singles: Wang Shi Xian (Chn) bt Li Xuerui (Chn) 21-19, 21-18; Doubles: Wang Xiao/Yu Fang (Chn) bt Ma Jin/Tang Yuvanting (Chn) 21-17, 18-21, 23-21.
Semifinals: Me n’s singles: 2-Chen Long (Chn) bt Wang Zhengming (Chn) 21-17, 21-14; 1-Lee Chong Wei (Mal) bt Son Wan Ho (Kor) 14-21, 21-19, 21-15; Men’s doubles: 1-Ahsan Mohammad/ Setiawan Hendra (Ina) bt Fernaldi Gideon Markus/ Kido Markis (Ina)  21-7, 21-12; 2-Endo Hiroyuki/ Hayakawa Kenichi (Jpn) bt Ko Sung Hyun/ Shin Baek Choel (Kor) 16-21, 21-17, 21-13.
Women’s singles: 4-Wang Shixian (Chn) bt 2-Wang Yihan (Chn) 21-8, 21-15; 1-Li Xuerui (Chn) bt 3-Intanon Ratchanok (Tha) 21-18, 21-8.
Women’s Doubles: 1-Wang Xiaoli/ Yu Yang (F) (Chn) bt 5-Tian Qing/ Zhao Yunlei 21-17, 21-12; Ma Jin/ Tang Yuanting (Chn) bt 3-Matsutomo Misaki/ Takahashi (Jpn) 21-18, 21-8.
Mixed doubles: 1-Zhang Nan (Chn) bt 3-Xu Chen Ma Jin (Chn) 21-11, 9-4 (retd); 2-Ahmad Tontowi/ Natsir Liliyana (Ina) bt 8-Ko Sung Hyun/ Kim Ha Na (Kor) 21-13, 21-11.