Taufik ends title drought at $120,000 Macau Open

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 10/06/2008 9:53 AM | Headlines

After a dismal showing throughout much of the year, Indonesian badminton star and former world No. 1, Taufik Hidayat, won his first title of 2008 with victory in the US$120,000 Macau Open Grand Prix Gold tournament on Sunday.

The 2004 Athens Olympic gold medalist and 2005 world champion defeated top seed and world No. 1, Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, 21-19, 21-15 in 38 minutes in the final.

The victory ended Taufik's poor performance this year after the world No. 10 exited early from the Beijing Olympics in August. He managed only quarterfinals appearances at the All England, Swiss Super Series, Japan Open and China Masters tournaments.

Taufik last won a tournament at the Asian Badminton Championship in April last year.

With Sunday's win over Lee, Taufik takes a 5-4 lead in head-to-head matches against one of his archrivals. Lee beat Taufik in their last three encounters, including in last year's Macau final.

"The key (for my victory) was to win the first game. Then in the second game, I felt less pressure to play my best," Taufik was quoted as saying by Antara.

For Lee, who is struggling to regain his confidence after losing to 2006 and 2007 world champion Lin Dan of China in the final of the Beijing Olympics, the Macau loss dashed his hopes of winning a third title this year. Lee won the Malaysia Open in January and the Singapore Open in June. Last month, he lost to Indonesian No. 1 Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the Japan Open final.

The women's title went to Hong Kong shuttler Zhou Mi, who overpowered Julia Wong of Malaysia in a convincing 21-13, 21-19 win.

In the women's doubles, in-form Chinese duo Cheng Shu and Zhao Yunlei, who won the Japan Open and the China Masters, thrashed compatriots Ma Jin and Wang Xiaoli 21-15, 21-18 to claim their third title in a row.

Mixed doubles pair Xu Chen and Zhao Yunlei of China overcame top seeds Yohan Hadikusumo Wiratama and Chau Hoi Wah of Hong Kong 21-15, 21-16.

In the men's doubles, 2006 Asian Games gold medalists Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong of Malaysia, top seeds here, earned their first title of the year by beating Fang Chieh Min and Lee Sheng Mu of Taiwan 21-16, 21-18.

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