Daily Times

JAKARTA: Lee Chong Wei edged Denmark’s Jan O Jorgensen on Sunday to win his sixth Indonesia Open badminton title, raising hopes the Malaysian ace may be on course for Olympic victory. Second seed Lee battled back from one set down to defeat fifth seed Jorgensen 17-21, 21-19, 21-17 in a thriller that was marked by a series of hard-fought rallies and dramatic smashes. Jorgensen, ranked fifth in the world, dominated in the early stages of the men’s singles final and appeared to be heading for victory as he took the lead in the second set. But world number two Lee fought back doggedly, winning a series of long rallies to cling on. By the final stages of the third set, Lee was firmly in control, confidently winning point after point as Jorgensen’s initial confidence faded. The victory will be a boost for Lee as he heads to Rio this summer, where the 33-year-old will again try to win Olympic gold. At the last two Olympics, Lee has lost in the final to his arch-rival, China’s Lin Dan.

In another boost for the Malaysian, Lin was knocked out of the Indonesian Open earlier in the week, losing in a shock defeat to unseeded Indonesian Jonatan Christie. Number one seed Chen Long of China withdrew, blaming an injury. Despite his loss in the final, Jorgensen’s impressive performance in the Indonesian Open is likely to be a boost for the Danes, coming hot on the heels of their maiden Thomas Cup victory last month. Thousands of fans flocked to watch the final at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.