Lee, Nehwal take titles in Hong Kong

HONG KONG (AFP) - Malaysias world number one Lee Chong Wei put his Asian Games disappointment behind him to smash his way to the Hong Kong Open Super Series title Sunday, while Saina Nehwal won the womens crown. Top seed Lee, beaten by Chinas Lin Dan in the final last month at the Games in Guangzhou, saw off Indonesias third-seeded Taufik Hidayat 21-19, 21-9 in little over 30 minutes at Queen Elizabeth Stadium. The Malaysian has enjoyed a fine season on the Super Series tour, but cannot shed the tag of nearly man he was also defeated by the dashing Lin in the final at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Lin, Lees nemesis, pulled out of the Hong Kong meet citing fatigue and injury. Nehwal, Indias golden girl and the second seed, stormed back from losing the opening game to Chinas Asian Games gold medallist Wang Shixian to take the title 15-21, 21-16, 21-17 in 71 minutes of topsy-turvy play. Starlet Nehwal, who clinched Commonwealth Games gold in New Delhi in October and is the only Indian player to have captured a Super Series trophy, also made small amends for her Asian Games flop. She tumbled out in Guangzhou in the quarter-finals.

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