KUALA LUMPUR: World number one Chen Long put on a powerful performance on Sunday to defeat his illustrious team-mate Lin Dan 20-22, 21-13, 21-11 and win his maiden Malaysian Open title.

Both Chinese shuttlers adopted a cautious approach in the first game, testing each other with long rallies focused mainly on the baseline with the occasional net play.

Lin started the brighter of the two but as the game opened up, both men displayed their attacking prowess, with the highlight being a one and a half minute rally.

But the world number three appeared ragged in the second game as Chen upped the tempo with a flurry of mid-court forehand strikes coupled with some deft touches at the net.

Chen, the reigning world champion, took that form to the decider, racing to a 11-3 advantage before sealing his second title of the year.

Lin, a five-time world champion and twice Olympic gold medallist, has yet to win the Malaysia Open, one of the only titles missing from his glittering trophy cabinet.

CHEN Long of China returns a shot to compatriot Lin Dan during the final of the Malaysian Open on Sunday.—AFP

In the women’s singles final, Carolina Marin of Spain ended China’s dominance in this year’s final by defeating Li Xuerui in rubber sets of 19-21, 21-19, 21-17.

Regardless of the low popularity of the game in Spain, she became the first Spanish and second European, after Dane Tine Rasmussen to win the title.

In the women’s doubles final, the Chinese pair of Luo Ying and Luo Yu overwhelmed South Koreans Chang Ye Na and Jung Kyung Eun 21-18, 21-9.

The mixed doubles final was an all-Chinese affair with Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei outplaying Xu Chen and Ma Jin 21-16, 21-14.

The Indonesian men’s doubles pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan won 14-21, 21-15, 23-21 over South Korea’s Lee Yong Dae and Yoo Yeon Seong.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2015

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