TOKYO: Malaysian badminton superstar Lee Chong Wei (pictured) and China’s Olympic champion Li Xuerui roared to the men’s and women’s finals at the Japan Open yesterday, living up to their world number-one billings.
Lee tamed Japan’s Kenichi Tago 21-15, 21-17 in the men’s semi-finals, gearing up for a fifth Japan Open title.
Li, competing in her first Japan Open, struggled in the second game but outlasted Asian champion Sung Ji-Hyun of South Korea 21-15, 23-21 in the women’s last-four round.
Lee faces Hong Kong veteran Hu Yun in the men’s final on Sunday. Hu outlasted Denmark’s European champion Jan O Jorgensen 21-13, 19-21, 21-15.
Li’s final opponent is Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying, ranked seventh in the world, who put down Chinese player Liu Xin 15-21, 21-19, 21-9.
The 31-year-old Lee -- who has already won three events in the top-flight World Superseries this year in Malaysia, England and India -- led the first game from the outset against Tago, 24, whom he beat in the Japan Open final last year. After his lead was narrowed from 17-11 to 18-15, the two-time Olympic silver medallist scored three straight points.
In the second game, Lee kept the lead as wide as seven points after 3-all. After 19-17, he smashed a shot in and sent another rolling over the top of the net to win the match.
“Too strong,” Tago, the world number-four, shouted at Lee as the Malaysian was talking to reporters after stretching his head-to-head record against the Japanese to 17 wins and one loss.
When Japan beat Malaysia 3-2 in the Thomas Cup men’s team championship final in New Delhi three weeks ago, Lee whipped Tago 2-0.
“I have not tuned up well since the Thomas Cup and my condition is not so good,” Lee said. “But I want to win every match in front of me. I wish to improve myself step by step and peak for the 2016 Rio Olympics.”AFP
