Lee wins Korea's first title in 12 years

Lin Dan smashes during the men's singles final against Lee Hyun-il at the 2008 Korea open Badminton in Seoul yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

South Korea's Lee Hyun-il won the men's title in a gruelling match with top-seeded Lin Dan of China at the US$300,000 Korean Open badminton tournament in Seoul yesterday.

Lee lost the first game 4-21 but fought back to take two games 23-21, 25-23, displaying accurate shots and consistency that forced errors from the world No. 1.

It was South Korea's first men's title in 12 years.

In the women's singles tournament when the title went to unseeded Zhou Mi of Hong Kong. She triumphed 21-18, 15-21, 21-15 over China's No. 3 seed Lu Lan.

In the mixed doubles final, Lee Yong-dae and Lee Hyo-jung made it two titles for South Korea after coming back from a game down to take the match 15-21, 21-14, 21-18 against Flandy Limpele and Marisssa Vita of Indonesia.

The women's doubles final was an all-Chinese affair. Yu Yang and Du Jing defeated Gao Ling and Zhao Tingting in straight games 21-15, 21-13.

In the day's last final, China's Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng beat Luluk Hadiyanto and Alven Yulian Chandra of Indonesia 21-7, 20-22, 21-17 to take the men's doubles title.