It was the fourth time the defending champion won the Indonesia Open in Jakarta after previous triumphs in 2010, 2009 and 2007. This time, he goes home US$45,000-richer from the $600,000-purse tournament.

“I guess you are right about being beaten up. That’s just the way it is, sometimes. Actually, I felt quite good before going on court. When he plays like this, with so much variation and with that kind of speed, that’s really, really difficult,” Gade said after the match.

Gade added that the past few tournaments, including the Singapore Open, the Sudirman Cup and the India Open Superseries, have drained his energy, as compared to Chong Wei, who was at full-strength after missing the event in Singapore.

“My strategy is just to play fast and faster. Compared to the last time we met in the India Superseries, I was a bit surprised that he gave up that fast after I was leading. I have always known him as an opponent who never gave up that easily,” Chong Wei said.

In the first game, Chong Wei led by as much as 13-5 and 18-9 and sealed it 21-11. In the second game, the point disparity was even wider, reaching 19-4 before finishing 21-7.

Indian women’s singles shuttler Saina Nehwal was not fortunate enough to create her hat trick victory in Indonesia, as world number three Wang Yihan got the better of her after struggling in a rubber match of 12-21, 23-21, 21-14.  

“I was just unlucky today. After playing three tournaments in a row, I think it’s a stamina problem, otherwise I was on the verge of winning it. I don’t think there is anything better in her game, she just could last long,” said Saina, the world number four who, in the first half of the year, participated in the Malaysia and Thailand GP Gold, the Sudirman Cup and the Singapore Open Superseries.

Nonetheless, the 2009 and 2010 Indonesia Open champion, who has not won a title this year, said she was really happy with what she had accomplished so far.

“Although I had nerve problems in the last two to three weeks, I still could fight all that so well in this tournament. It gives me a lot of confidence that I can do well in the World Championships [in London in August],” Nehwal said.

The Chinese shuttlers also won titles in the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles.  

Top-ranked men’s doubles pair, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng of China, repeated their 2008 glory on Indonesian soil by defeating compatriots Chai Biao and Guo Zhendong 21-13, 21-12.

World number one women’s doubles pair Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang also beat the host pair, Vita Marissa and Nadya Melati, 21-12, 21-10, while the top-ranked mixed doubles pair, Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei, ousted the host’s title favorites, Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir, 20-22, 21-14, 21-9.

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