ALL ENGLAND 2014 Finals – Chong Wei gets it back!

China got only the two guaranteed titles available, while Indonesia proved to be back at the powerhouse level, having their top pairs in men’s and mixed doubles take trophies with ease. Lee Chong Wei avenged his past four defeats at the hands of Chen Long, with over half of the stadium behind the world number one.

By Tarek Hafi, Badzine Correspondent, live from Birmingham.  Photos: Raphael Sachetat & Yohan Nonotte for Badmintonphoto (live).

Lee Chong Wei (pictured left with Chen Long) fired up the National Indoor Arena, displaying a fantastic performance against his current nemesis Chen Long, successor to Chinese compatriot Lin Dan.

It was a much-awaited win for his Malaysian fans.  The arena was packed with supporters coming from everywhere to watch their idol get revenge against Chen Long.  Along with the “Malaysia Boleh!” shouted all around the arena, the world number one took his game up a level, outplaying Chen Long to take the most prestigious Superseries of all.

After a one-directional first game where Lee Chong Wei showed no mercy to his opponent, the tall Chinese player gave up on his patient game, and tried to pressure the Malaysian more. Lee Chong Wei, confident with his play, played a successful tactical game, patiently waiting for his opponent to commit the mistake first. The top Malaysian star worked hard to take a comfortable lead.  A misplaced backhand saw Chen Long gift his rival a dearly missed title.

“I am really happy and I tried my best today because I know Chen is a good player who I have lost to several times. I know I need to play my best to beat him and today there was a great atmosphere and I would like to thank all my Malaysian and English fans for supporting me,” commented Lee Chong Wei.

The Malaysian, who had hinted he would retire this year, still left the doubt flying around the decision: “I think this is my last All England, but who knows?  I might come back next year but that is why I tried my best to finish first this year. I don’t know what will happen. I have suffered from several injuries.  Especially my ankle has caused me problems and I was not 100% fit before coming to All England so I need to go back in rehab, before knowing what the future will bring.”

Three for Natsir and Ahmad

The reigning mixed doubles World Champions could not have had a better performance today as they completely controlled the entire match. On the other hand the Chinese couple, Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei (pictured right), who seemed embittered from their opponent’s style, committed too many mistakes to repeat their Denmark Superseries win against the number two seeds.

Despite a more equal game in the second half, Lilyana Natsir and Tontowi Ahmad (pictured left) maintained a secure lead, which allowed them to get their hands on a third victory in a row at the All England.

“It’s not just a simple hat-trick.  It’s a third victory in a row and we are obviously happy with our performance and want to build up momentum to earn more honours after this,” admitted Lilyana Natsir.

The Indonesian pair, who enjoy great support in England whenever they come, didn’t fail to thank all the on-site and home support: “We are particularly pleased with the Indonesian fans who are currently here supporting us.”

The full results for the day can be found here.

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