Lingshui: The London Olympic women’s singles champion Li Xuerui of China had made an astonishing comeback in the Lingshui China Masters final after she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and injured her lateral meniscus in the Rio Olympic women’s singles semi-finals in 2016.
Li turned to tears after she fought back from a set down to beat Kim Ga Eun of Korea 16-21, 21-16, 21-18 in 56 minutes in the women’s singles on Sunday.
“I don’t know what else to say. I didn’t think so much. This was my first tournament after my injury, I was hoping to play well at this tournament, and I just took it one game at a time. Frankly, it’s quite challenging,” said Li.
“After I lost my first set, I told myself I have to belief in myself, and I shouldn’t give up,” added Li.
China would have achieved a clean sweep at the tournament if it wasn’t for Lu Guangzu’s defeat to Lin Yu Hsien of Taiwan in the men’s singles final. Lin was made to work before winning the men’s singles title 12-21, 21-12, 21-14.
Meanwhile, at the 2018 Victor Dutch International, Malaysia’s Cheam June Wei finally earned his first victory at the senior level. The 21-year-old Cheam beat Poland’s Adrian Dziolko 13-21, 21-13, 21-10 to clinch the men’s singles title in Wateringen.
“I’m so excited that I finally won the men’s singles title at senior level,” said Cheam.
In women’s singles, Malaysia’s M. Thinaah put up good fight against reigning European junior champion Julie Dawall Jakobsen of Denmark in the women’s singles final before going down 21-17, 15-21, 11-21.
