YONEX JAPAN OPEN – Chong Wei and Tine Come out on top
Lee Chong Wei, News 1:00 PM
Lee Chong Wei beat Taufik for the fourth time of his career and scooped the Japan Open title for the first time, sending out a clear signal to the world that he is in his best form. The fairy tale of the week continues for Tine Rasmussen, who beat Xie Xingfang and entered Denmark History.Raphael Sachetat, Live from Tokyo. Photos (live) : Badmintonphoto.com
What an incredible match! Lee Chong Wei (pictured) and his friend Taufik Hidayat gave a recital of badminton on the last day of the Japan Open in Tokyo. Suspense, emotion, friendship, laughs and amazing badminton. It was all there for this splendid final between two of badminton’s titans. And the Malaysian came close, very close to losing a match of which he was in control all the way.
When Taufik Hidayat caught back up from 14-20 down to a very close 19-20 in the deciding game, there were shivers going through all the Malaysian spectators. They probably figured that if Taufik saved the 6th match point, it could mean the end of their darling. But no. Lee Chong Wei hung in there and proved he could cope with pressure and deal with players as clever as Taufik.
“I had warned him about Taufik’s behavior. He pretends he has given up the match and acts nonchalant, but his minds stays very alert and he still plays at his best,” said Misbun Sidek, Lee Chong Wei’s coach.
And he was absolutely right. Taufik did show no emotion towards the end, letting Chong Wei make the mistakes, and trying incredibly risky shots – including backhand smashes and drops which were pure jewels. But Lee kept his composure and was able to win on his 7th match point.
“This is one of my greatest tournaments, beating Lin Dan and Taufik back to back. It shows I’m back to the top and playing 100 % now. I probably have learned a lot from my World Championship defeat and this makes up for it,” said a delighted Lee.
Tine’s fairy tale
Tine Rasmussen (pictured) was the other hero of the day when she defeated her fourth Chinese opponent in a row, Xie Xingfang, in a final she mastered and controlled all the way. Playing calmly but with a lot of self confidence, the Dane showed what kind of badminton she could play when she’s on top of her game and confident. In straight games, it was all over, 21-15, 21-17 in 38 minutes.
What an incredible match! Lee Chong Wei (pictured) and his friend Taufik Hidayat gave a recital of badminton on the last day of the Japan Open in Tokyo. Suspense, emotion, friendship, laughs and amazing badminton. It was all there for this splendid final between two of badminton’s titans. And the Malaysian came close, very close to losing a match of which he was in control all the way.
When Taufik Hidayat caught back up from 14-20 down to a very close 19-20 in the deciding game, there were shivers going through all the Malaysian spectators. They probably figured that if Taufik saved the 6th match point, it could mean the end of their darling. But no. Lee Chong Wei hung in there and proved he could cope with pressure and deal with players as clever as Taufik.
“I had warned him about Taufik’s behavior. He pretends he has given up the match and acts nonchalant, but his minds stays very alert and he still plays at his best,” said Misbun Sidek, Lee Chong Wei’s coach.
And he was absolutely right. Taufik did show no emotion towards the end, letting Chong Wei make the mistakes, and trying incredibly risky shots – including backhand smashes and drops which were pure jewels. But Lee kept his composure and was able to win on his 7th match point.
“This is one of my greatest tournaments, beating Lin Dan and Taufik back to back. It shows I’m back to the top and playing 100 % now. I probably have learned a lot from my World Championship defeat and this makes up for it,” said a delighted Lee.
Tine’s fairy tale
Tine Rasmussen (pictured) was the other hero of the day when she defeated her fourth Chinese opponent in a row, Xie Xingfang, in a final she mastered and controlled all the way. Playing calmly but with a lot of self confidence, the Dane showed what kind of badminton she could play when she’s on top of her game and confident. In straight games, it was all over, 21-15, 21-17 in 38 minutes.“It’s an amazing tournament; I will never forget it, of course. I had never won any big international tournament before, and winning here, a Super Series, is very special. I had faith I could do it and all the Danish players showed me great support, which helped me get through. Also, having Peter Gade on the bench to support me was great as we are good friends and he knows exactly what to tell me at the right time. As for Morten Frost, my coach here in Japan, he deserves half the credit for my victory. My coach is usually Steen Pedersen but having Morten on my side made a difference,” said the Dane, who couldn't dream of a better fairy tale.
She mentioned the former top player Camilla Martin in her post match Interview. “It’s been three years now that she’s been retired and even though I don’t think about it anymore, I had no idea and couldn’t imagined that I would achieve what she has achieved in this tournament, which is to beat the top Chinese back to back. It’s a great honour” ended the Dane.
Later in the day, Candra and Tony kept their title in the men’s doubles, defeating their compatriots Alven and Luluk in straight games, while China’s Zhang Jiewen and Yang Wei obviously enjoyed getting back together and had a clean sweep over compatriots Yu and Zhao.
This ended the Japan Open tournament and all players are either going back home or travelling to Chinese Taipei for a Grand Prix Gold event which may be opening up after the withdrawal of the entire Chinese team and a redraw to be made on Monday.
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