Lee Chong Wei(L) of Malaysia poses with Shi Yuqi of China during the awarding ceremony after men's singles final at All England Open Badminton Championships 2017 in Birmingham, Britain on March 12, 2017. (Photo/Xinhua)
Top seed Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia breezed past Chinese debutant Shi Yuqi in straight games to win his fourth title at the All England Open badminton championships here on Sunday.
Lee, 35, defeated the 21-year-old Shi 21-12, 21-10 to add the title to his collection of victories in 2010, 2011 and 2014.
Shi, who shocked six-time champion Lin Dan in the semifinals on Saturday, looked nervous in front of the more experienced opponent and failed to play his best badminton, seeing Lee control proceedings from the very start of play.
Lee strolled effortlessly to a 21-12 victory in the first game and had little challenge as well in the second. An ankle injury to the Chinese player, sustained when trailing 10-18, allowed Lee to seal a 21-10 triumph.
"I didnot play my best," Shi said. "Lee has showed that I need to learn a lot from him, especially the small details."
Lee, who ranked first in the world, vowed to be back in 2018.
"Winning the All England is a different feeling as it's my favourite, it's an amazing tournament," he said. "I 100 per cent want to come back next year. I hope I can win again next year, and become a five-time All England champion."
For the first time in 21 years, Europe had representation in the women's doubles final as Denmark's Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Christinna Pedersen faced Chang Ye Na and Lee So Hee of South Korea.
No European women's doubles team has won the event since 1981, and that fact wasn't to change as the South Koreans won 21-18, 21-13.
In the mixed doubles final, China's Lu Kai and Huang Yaqiong fought back from one game down to defeat Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh of Malaysia 18-21, 21-19, 21-14.
Elsewhere, Indonesian duo Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo won the men's doubles title after beating China's Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen in straight games.
The women's singles title went to top seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei, who beat Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 21-16, 22-20 in 51 minutes.
