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BADMINTON: Thai ace Boonsak wins Singapore Open crown

SINGAPORE: Thai ace Boonsak Ponsana stunned China’s Chen Yu to win the Singapore Open Sunday as women’s world number one Xie Xingfang was battered into submission by veteran Chinese teammate Zheng Ning.

Boonsak, 25, came into the tournament unseeded but the style in which he beat the world’s top player Lin Dan in the quarter-finals made people sit up and take notice. His 21-17, 21-14 demolition of shellshocked world number seven Chen put the icing on the cake for what was the biggest victory of his career. “I am just so happy,” said a delirious Boonsak, who dropped to his knees pumping his fists after the 36-minute mauling. “I want to be a champion again,” he added, already looking ahead to the Indonesia Open in the coming week, the sixth leg of the badminton Super Series.

It was a tournament to forget for China as the wheels came off its traditionally dominant juggernaut. Not only did Chen fail Sunday but a sullen Lin was forced to watch his girlfriend Xie humbled by Zheng at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. It was a flawless performance by Zheng, 32, who took the first game 21-18 before dropping the second 19-21, committing her only two errors of the match before regrouping to demolish Xie in the final game. Zheng won 17 points in a row to win 21-3, a lopsided score rarely seen in top level badminton and virtually unheard of against Xie. The supremely confident victory handed Zheng her fifth Singapore title while accumulating crucial qualifying points for the Beijing Olympics. The Singapore tournament is the first event of the year offering Olympic points, with qualifying running until May 2008. “I just love Singapore,” said an ecstatic Zheng to thunderous applause as a glum Xie looked on.

In the opening final of the day, Chinese top seeds Zhang Yawen and Wei Yili recovered from a first game lesson by teammates Zhao Tingting and Yang Wei to fight back and win the women’s doubles crown 10-21, 21-19, 21-18. Indonesian pair Flandy Limpele and Vita Marissa, seeded eight, beat Thailand’s third seeded Sudket Prapalamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam 21-14, 21-13 to lift the mixed doubles title. The men’s doubles is played later Sunday. afp

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