Tokyo: Malaysian badminton super star Lee Chong Wei won his fifth Japan Open title after beating Hong Kong’s Hu Yun 21-14, 21-12 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
Playing with an unusually aggressive flair, Lee Chong Wei led the first game all the way with a cushion of up to eight points. Chong Wei scored the 21th point in the first set after eighth-seeded Hu returned a high lob into the net.
In the second set, Hu Yun was trying to make a comeback after leading 12-10. But after 12-all, Lee took nine straight points, and scored the match point by smashing a shot past a stunned Hu.
“It was an unexpectedly easy match for a final,” Lee said. “I had not played aggressively in the Japan Open. But I studied Hu in video last night and decided it would be better if I play aggressively.”
Hu, 32, said: “I feel happy because I had not expected such a result before the tournament.” “Chong Wei was awesome with his speed and attack.”
In women’s doubles, top-seeded Chinese Li Xuerui beat Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei 21-16, 21-6 in 34 minutes to win the women’s singles.
South Korea’s Lee Yong-dae and Yoo Yeon-seong and Japan’s Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi triumphed in the men’s and women’s doubles final, respectively.
Chinese duo Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei took the mixed doubles gold.
-100x70.jpg "Lee Chong Wei is on his way to his third Indian Open title")
