BADMINTON JAPAN OPEN 2008

WORLD No 1 Lee Chong Wei cleared any doubts about his form in the ongoing Japan Open by storming into the final with a brilliant performance in Tokyo yesterday. Chong Wei, the defending champion, gave Joachim Persson a lesson in badminton as he trounced the Dane 21-6, 21-4 in a match that lasted just 20 minutes. The day turned out to be even better for Malaysia as Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui reached the final of a Super Series event for the first time after an upset 21-11, 18-21, 21-18 win over second seeds Vita Marissa-Lilyana Natsir of Indonesia in the women's doubles. However, Chong Wei's total domination was the highlight as he toyed with Persson from the start. Chong Wei cleverly varied the pace to unsettle Persson and the Dane looked lost as he trailed 9-0 and 13-1 before conceding the first game 21-6. It got worse for the Dane in the second game as Chong Wei raced to a 16-1 lead and conceded just three more points to secure one of the easiest wins of his career. Chong Wei will meet second seed Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia, who defeated Japan's Kenichi Tago 21-15, 21-16, in the final today. Chong Wei, in a telephone interview from Tokyo, said he was happy to rediscover his form after struggling in the earlier rounds but expects a tougher fight from Sony. The Malaysian, in order to avoid injuries, has withdrawn from the China Masters in Changzhou beginning on Tuesday after admitting he is not fit enough to survive another tough week. "The win looked easy as I opted for the right strategy. What is important is that I have overcome my below par performances at the right time," said Chong Wei. "The biggest difference today (yesterday) is that I cut down on unforced errors and I must perform the same way against Sony. "He is the underdog and will battle hard. Although I beat him convincingly in the Beijing Olympics, it is not the same here. "My fitness level is not good and I have withdrawn from the China Masters although I may drop to second in the world rankings. I may suffer an injury if I carry on and it is better to return and focus on training." Pei Tty-Eei Hui's efforts were also timely as their performance has dipped drastically this year. They have a good chance of nailing their first Super Series crown as they will meet unranked juniors Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei of China, who beat Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna of Japan 21-15, 21-16, in the final today. Results -- (All S-Finals) Men's singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Joachim Persson (Den) 21-6, 21-4; Sony Dwi Kuncoro (Ina) bt Kenichi Tago (Jpn) 21-15, 21-16. Doubles: Muhammad Ahsan-Bona Septano (Ina) bt Yonatan Suryatama Dasuki-Rian Sukmawan (Ina) 21-16, 21-19; Lars Paaske-Jonas Rasmussen (Den) bt Keita Masuda-Tadashi Ohtsuka (Jpn) 21-17, 21-16.Women's Singles: Zhou Mi (HK) bt Lu Lan (Chn) 9-21, 21-13, 21-13; Wang Yihan (Chn) bt Tine Rasmussen (Den) 21-15, 21-18.Doubles: Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna (Jpn) 21-15, 21-16; Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui (Mas) bt Vita Marissa-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) 21-11, 18-21, 21-18. Mixed Doubles: Nova Widianto-Lilyana Natsir (Ina) bt Yoo Yeon Seong-Kim Min Jung (Kor) 19-21, 21-17, 21-18; Muhammad Rijal-Vita Marissa (Ina) bt Songphon Anugritayawon-Kunchala Voravichitchaikul (Tha) 22-20, 21-18. Courtesy of New Straits Times addthis_pub = 'nstonline';