China’s two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan beat arch-rival and Malaysian world No 1 Lee Chong Wei to win his first ever Malaysia Open badminton title on Sunday in Sarawak, Channel NewsAsia reported.
Lin dominated Lee to bag a 21-19, 21-14 win in 55 minutes. With the win, Lin has now won every major title on offer in badminton.
“My main target was to break my jinx at this Malaysian Open. We both played well and showed a high level of badminton,” Dan was quoted as saying by AFP. “I and Lee are both ageing, and so I cherish every moment we play each other in a big tournament,” he said.
Lee began the contest on the front foot and neared match point with a 19-15 advantage in the first game. But, Lin engineered a fight back to win six straight points and clinched the game 21-19.
Lin rode with the momentum in the second game, built a 11-8 lead in the second. He maintained his lead through the game and won it with a comfortable 21-14 margin.
Prior to Sunday, the Chinese star had lost in the final thrice, losing to Lee in 2005 and 2006. He lost to compatriot Chen Long in 2015.