Lee masters Chen; Zhou ends Zhu’s quest (July 22, 2007)

---

What was expected to be a classic, no-holds-barred
duel for the coveted Bingo Bonanza Philippine Open
Badminton Championships crown between the top two
seeds turned out to be a virtual walk in the park for
Malaysian Lee Chong Wei, who swept Chen Hong of China,
21-9, 21-15, to bag the men’s singles crown before
another big Sunday crowd at the Philsports Arena in
Pasig City, Metro Manila.

Saving his best for last, Lee flaunted his quickness
and superb shot making skills to outplay the world No.
2 in a 39-minute job that netted the Malaysian world
No. 3 $9,600.

“I always give my best whenever I’m on the court,”
said the 24-year-old Lee, who took the top purse of
$9,600. “I was quicker than him in this game.”
Lee also proved to the better player.

Fresh from his walkover win over No. 6 Sony Dwi
Kuncoro of Indonesia in the semis, Lee dominated his
Chinese rival in the first set, raced to a 7-1 lead in
the second frame before thwarting Lee’s fightback in
the middlegame with his ferocious smashes and quick,
backhand and twisting returns.

Lee said it also helped that he got some rest
following Saturdays’ semifinal walkover win over
Kuncoro, who withdrew due to lower back spasms he
sustained in a quarterfinal victory over No. 10 Ronald
Susilo of Singapore.

“I had some rest and he (Chen) was tired, it helped me
a lot,” said Lee, who has now won 12 titles in a span
of four years.

Chen, the 30-year-old Fujian native who ruled the
Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold event three weeks ago,
was impressed with how Lee played.

“He played better today and quicker,” Chen said
through an interpreter. He settled for $4,800.
Hong Kong’s Zhou Mi made it a double setback for China
as she beat Zhu Jingjing, 21-18, 21-12, to capture the
women’s singles’ title worth $8,280.

Zhou, champion in the New Zealand Open last May and
Miami Pan-Am last April, rallied from 14-17 down in
the first set behind a wide array of drop shots that
shook off Zhu, whose list of victims included last
year’s champion Saina Nehwal of India in the first
round.

So frustrated was Zhu that she ran into a maze of
errors in the second set, enabling Zhou to dominate en
route to her 47-minute victory
Zhu, however, stands to earn precious points and
improve her ranking at 207th aside from pocketing
$3,960.

Top seed Lilyana Natsir and Nova Widianto of Indonesia
crushed No. 5 Wang Yu Mi and Han Sang Hoon of Korea,
21-17, 21-13, to clinch the mixed doubles crown and
the top purse of $7,320 staked
in the event sponsored by Bingo Bonanza Corp. and
organized by IMG.

In women’s doubles, top seed Chien Yu Chin and Cheng
Wen Hsing of Chinese Taipei lived to his top billing
as they trounced unseeded Pan Pan and Tian Qing of
China, 22-20, 21-14, to bag the top purse worth
$7,320.

It was Lee’s fourth straight victory and fifth overall
against Chen in 10 matches. The Malaysian bested the
Chinese in the Djarum Indonesia Super Series last May
and the Macau Open and All England Open last year.