World number one Lee Chong Wei continued his dominance over Peter Gade Christensen in the Super Series events to win the men's singles title in the inaugural Indian Open badminton championship in New Delhi on Sunday.
The two-time All England champion, Lee prevailed over world number six and third seed Gade 21-12, 12-21, 21-15 in a hard-fought contest to pocket the winner's prize of USD 15,000 at the Siri Fort Complex.
The capacity crowd present inside the venue could not have asked for better showdown between the two titans of badminton world as both came out with every shot in the book to highlight their supremacy over each other.
Gade's athleticism was in full display on the court as he did not allow the reigning All England champion Lee to make the clash a one-sided affair.
The 34-year-old Gade, whose passage to the final was a result of lot of hard work coupled with experience, was in his prime form on Sunday as on many occassions he retrieved the shuttle from near impossible positions at the back court during the long rallies and also unleashed flurry of smashes, much to the delight of weekend crowd.
Gade was keen to improve his 1-11 head-to-head record against Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lee prior to today's meeting and after winning the second game with his age-defying fitness, it looked like the Danish shuttler will turn the clock back on the Malaysian. But with Lee, securing his lost confidence in the third and final game, it was all about another milestone in his illustrious career.
"Gade played really well today. This complex has proved to be lucky for me. In the second game, I lost my confidence and focus but in the third, I gained it and went on to securing a win," Lee said after winning the match.
"Gade planned everything to perfection today. His fighting spirit, his experience all were on display today. He is a very good player and it is always a pleasure to play against him," added Lee. Lee has played Gade 12-time earlier in his career and has lost only once during the 2009 Korea Super Series.
Gade, seemingly disappointed after losing a close tie, said, "It's been tough match as he is the world number one and full of confidence. He is the best player in the world. If he is self-confidence like this, he is unbeatable. I was leading in the third game at one stage, but he got the momentum back."
"I wish I would have won today. I am proud of my performance. I would again like to be back in Indian for another series and may be for the last time. I am 34 witnessing the end of my career. May be another one and a half year to go and then I'll stop."
