BIRMINGHAM (England), March 10: Denmark’s Camilla Martin, playing some of the best badminton of her life, won the All England title for the first time Sunday with a 7-5 8-6 7-3 defeat of world champion Gong Ruina of China.

But the Chinese got some compensation an hour later when second seed Chen Hong powered past unseeded Indonesian Budi Santoso 7-4 7-5 7-1 to capture the men’s championship.

Martin, 27, world champion three years ago, had beaten Gong on the last four occasions they have clashed but had to fight hard to make it five.

Gong was her fourth Chinese scalp in succession in these championships but for once it was not an Asian bridge too far.

A magnificent cross court shot to end a 50-stroke rally at game point handed the Dane the first set and after she saved game point at 4-6 in the second, Martin was not be denied.

“I have never beaten four Chinese in a row before. It’s certainly not something you can do in every tournament,” Martin, runner-up in 1995, said.

With the All England title under her belt, Martin confirmed she would retire after the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She took silver in Sydney 2000, losing out to China’s Gong Zhichao in the final.

Chen, 22, was runner-up last year to India’s Pullela Gopichand who was beaten in the second round, one of a number of high profile exits and injured absentees which made Chen’s task easier.

The Chinese said: “I was disappointed to lose in the final last year but when I came here this time I thought that defeat should motivate me so I have been determined to win the title.”

The final was a modest affair with Santoso, 26, failing to rise to the heights of previous rounds.

World champion H. Hendrawan of Indonesia missed the tournament with a high fever and former world number one Peter Gade of Denmark pulled out with a knee injury.

Results

Men’s singles: Chen Hong (China) bt Budi Santoso (Indonesia) 7-4 7-5 7-1

Women’s singles: Camilla Martin (Denmark) bt Gong Ruina (China) 7-5 8-6 7-3

Mixed doubles: Kim Dong-moon/Ra Kyung-min (South Korea) bt Jens Eriksen/Mette Schjoldager (Denmark) 7-3 7-3 7-0—Reuters