Lim Chong Wei Kalahkan Lin Dan Di Terbuka Jepun

TOKYO: Pemain badminton nombor satu dunia, Datuk Lee Chong Wei muncul juara Terbuka Jepun selepas menewaskan pemain China dan musuh utamanya, Lin Dan, pada perlawanan final, sebentar tadi.

Pemain pilihan utama dari Malaysia itu hanya memerlukan masa 81 minit untuk menang ke atas Lin Dan, 22-20, 16-21, 21-17.

Dalam acara perseorangan wanita pula, pemain bukan pilihan yang juga juara remaja dunia 2002, Jiang Yanjiao menewaskan pemain nombor satu dunia, Wang Xin 23-21, 21-18. - AFP

M'sian Lee wins Japan Open

TOKYO - WORLD number one Lee Chong Wei squeezed past old foe Lin Dan of China to win the men's singles title at the Japan Open on Sunday.

The top-seeded Malaysian, who reached the final without losing a game, needed a tough 81 minutes before scoring a 22-20, 16-21, 21-17 victory over the three-time former world champion.

In the women's, unseeded 2002 world junior champion Jiang Yanjiao, who eliminated fellow Chinese Lu Lan and Wang Shixian on her way to the final, shocked world number one Wang Xin 23-21, 21-18 to claim the title.

'This is my second victory in the Japan Open. I targeted my goal this year to win the All England and the Japan Open, so I'm very happy that I won both of them,' said Lee. 'I couldn't play well in the Thomas Cup and I got an injury in Paris and failed to win the world championships. Now I'm going to aim at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games in November.'

Lin, winner here in 2005 and 2006, used his unstoppable smashes to even the contest at one game each, hitting a sudden attack at the net at 20-16 in the second. But Lee kept a narrow lead in the final game, and although he was close to be tied at 11-10 and 15-14, took four points in a row to lead 19-15.

Lee took a commanding 20-17 lead when Lin hit an overhead wide, and finished off the struggling Chinese with a backhand winner. 'I changed the rhythm in the final game and increased the speed of the shuttle to lead 11-7. I didn't rush too much when I was close to be tied and tried to keep attacking at my pace,' said Lee, 27.

It was Lee's seventh title of the season. -- AFP