Chong Wei, Nehwal take titles in Hong Kong

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HONG KONG: Malaysia’s world number one Lee Chong Wei put his Asian Games disappointment behind him to smash his way to the Hong Kong Open Super Series title Sunday, while Saina Nehwal won the women’s crown.

AMIABLE RIVALRY: Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia (left) and Datuk Chong Wei Lee of Malaysia (right) stand on the podium after the men’s single final badminton match of the Hong Kong Open Badminton Super Series yester. World No. 1 Chong Wei beat Hidayat 21-19, 21-9. — AFP photo

Top seed Lee, beaten by China’s Lin Dan in the final last month at the Games in Guangzhou, saw off Indonesia’s third-seeded Taufik Hidayat 21-19, 21-9 in little over 30 minutes at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

The Malaysian has enjoyed a fine season on the Super Series tour, but cannot shed the tag of nearly  man — he was also defeated by the dashing Lin in the final at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Lin, Lee’s nemesis, pulled out of the Hong Kong meet citing fatigue and injury.

Nehwal, India’s golden girl and the second seed, stormed back from losing the opening game to China’sAsian Games gold medallist Wang Shixian to take the title 15-21, 21-16, 21-17 in 71 minutes of topsy-turvy play.

Starlet Nehwal, who clinched Commonwealth Games gold in New Delhi in October and is the only Indian player to have captured a Super Series trophy, also made small amends for her Asian Games flop.

She tumbled out in Guangzhou in the quarterfinals. — AFP