Chong Wei wins Hong Kong Open

The current world number one dismissed Yihan in straight sets 21-18, 21-16 taking her a step closer to her sixth big title of the year.

“I could not win but I have confidence because I still managed to catch up (in the third set) with Marin, who is the world number one”, said Okuhara.

The Penangite, now growing in confidence, surged to an 18-9 lead in the second game before having to fend off a fightback by Angus to seal his spot in the final after 46 minutes.

The 33-year-old Penangite has won the Hong Kong Open thrice – 2009, 2010 and 2013.

Marin will face ninth seed Nozomi Okuhara of Japan – who beat Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon 26-24, 21-6 – in Sunday’s final.

Chen – who has won seven titles this year – had the upper hand in the first game.

“I think the important thing is I keep my focus on all my training”.

“Chong Wei played very well although it took him a while to find his groove”, said coach Tey Seu Bock.

The twenty-year-old had previously beaten Marin, in last year’s semi-finals, but she then failed to take the title, falling to Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying. “This is the key of my game”.

The young Hong Konger stunned legend Lin Dan in the second round, and took down Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei 21-17, 15-21, 21-15 yesterday.

Ng put up a strong resistance in the first game and kept pace with his illustrated opponent Lee throughout the first game, which he eventually conceded 21-19.

Last week he lost 21-10, 21-15 in the second round.

Lee is on a winning streak after taking back-to-back titles in China and France in a strong return from an eight-month doping ban earlier this year.

Chong Wei will meet Tian Houwei of China in today’s final after the unseeded shuttler bounced back from a set down before defeating Anthony Ginting of Indonesia 18-21, 21-11, 21-6.