China, S. Korea bag titles at All England Open

BIRMINGHAM: Li Shi Feng defeated fellow Chinese shuttler Shi Yu Qi to win the men’s singles title at the All England Open badminton championships on Sunday, while South Korea’s An Se-young smashed her way to the women’s title.

The all-Chinese men’s final ended 26-24, 21-5, beginning neck-and-neck in the first game and ending in a decisive victory for 23-year-old Li in the second.

“Before this week I didn’t expect to reach the finals let alone win the title,” said Li, who started playing badminton when he was six and considers China’s Lin Dan as his badminton hero. “I want to thank all the fans and my coach.”