SEOUL (AFP) — China swept three titles at the 2009 Badminton Asia Championships in South Korea on Sunday, proving yet again they are a virtually unbeatable force in world badminton.
There was however some home joy, with South Korea’s Olympic mixed doubles champion pair of Lee Yong-Dae and Lee Hyo-Jung prevailing in an all-Korean final at the event in Suwon, just outside Seoul.
The men’s and women’s singles finals were both all-China affairs.
In the men’s, Bao Chunlai defeated unseeded Chen Long 16-21, 21-10, 21-16 after overcoming a slow start.
Six-seeded Zhu Lin had an easier time capturing the women’s crown, needing just 37 minutes to beat 2000 Asian champion Xie Xingfang 21-11, 21-10.
China secured their third title of the tournament in the women’s doubles, where the unseeded Ma Jin and Wang Xiaoli beat Beijing Olympic silver medalists Lee Hyo-Jung and Lee Kyung-Won of Korea, 21-11, 21-18.
The Lees, who are not related, were going for their third Asian title and first since 2005.
In the men’s doubles, Indonesia’s top-seeded pair of Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan edged out Korea’s Ko Sung-Hyun and Yoo Yeon-Seong, 21-18, 26-24 in a thrilling finale.
This was the first Asian championships staged in Korea since the event began in 1962.
