China claims seventh Sudirman Cup title

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-05-18 10:01

GUANGZHOU - China lived up to the media hype to win the Sudirman Cup world mixed team badminton championship here on Sunday when it beat South Korea 3-0 in the final.

China's Cai Yun (R) and Fu Haifeng celebrate after winning the men's doubles game against South Korea's Jung Jae-Sung and Lee Yong-Dae to seal China's final game win in the Sudirman Cup World Mixed Team Badminton Championships in Guangzhou of south China May 17, 2009. Defending China swept South Korea in the best-of-five match to claim the title for the third consecutive times. [Xinhua]

The powerful Chinese team didn't drop a single match in the week-long tournament en route to claiming its seventh Sudirman Cup trophy.

The South Koreans fielded Lee Yong-Dae and Lee Hyo-Jung, the Beijing Olympic gold medallists in the mixed doubles in high hopes of winning the opening rubber.

But the newly-formed Chinese pair, Zheng Bo and Yu Yang, inspired by the vociferous home fans, came from one set down to win 18-21, 21-19 and 21-16 and put China 1-0 ahead.

"I didn't know I would pair up Yu until this morning," said Zheng. "We did not played together too much before and had to depend mostly on individual experiences."

Olympic champion Lin Dan enlarged China's advantage to 2-0 by dispatching Park Sung-Hwan 21-14, 21-18.

"Park is South Korea's best player and one of the best players of the world. I'm very happy to beat him," said Lin, one of the most popular sports star in China.

Park has only recently returned from national service in South Korea. "I thought I would fully recover before the world championships in August," he said.

China secured the trophy after Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng overcame Jung Jae-Sung and Lee Yong-Dae 21-14, 17-21, 21-19 in the men's doubles.

Chinese head coach Li Yongbo expressed his gratitude to home fans for their unrelenting support.

"We have a great team and great fans," said Li.

"And all our players and coaches made good preparations to defend the title and to keep Sudirman Cup in China."

China's Zheng Bo (L) and Yu Yang return a shot to South Korea's Lee Yong-Dae and Lee Hyo-Jung during the mixed doubles game in the Sudirman Cup World Mixed Team Badminton Championships fianl in Guangzhou of south China May 17, 2009. Defending China swept South Korea in the best-of-five match to claim the title for the third consecutive times. [Xinhua]

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