Paris: World number 13 Taiwanese Chou Tien-chen, won the French Open on Sunday by defeating Wang Zhengming of China 10-21, 25-23 and 21-19 after a 3-set men’s singles final thriller at the Coubertin stadium.
Wang Zhengming who held a 2-0 career meeting record against Chou Tien Chen prior to the final, got off to a good start to break Chou Tien Chen in the first game by taking a 7-2 lead, and continued his dominance to win the first set 21- 10 easily.
Steeling himself when he so desperately needed to, the more aggressive and perseverance Taiwanese drawing on every ounce of his pedigree, saved two match points to level the score at 20-20, and held on for a 21-20, 22-22, 23-23, 25-23 nerve-racking second set victory.
Encouraged by his second set victory, Chou took a commanding 11-6, 18-13 lead in the decider before Wang battled to stay in the match and saved five points to level the score at 18-18. Chou raised his level yet again at this critical moment to clinch the hard-fought win 21-19 in 75 minutes.
Wang Shixian of China was granted an easy win in women’s singles final by compatriot Li Xuerui after Li retired half way through the second set due to injury.
In the all Chinese women’s doubles final, Wang Xiaoli – Yu Yang beat teammate Ma Jin / Tang Yuanting 21-15 21-9 to win their second consecutive Superseries titles in two weeks.
Mathias Boe had difficulty getting out of bed on Wednesday and Thursday because of an aching fiber in the stomach, and his partner Carsten Mogensen was struggling with illness this whole week. Nevertheless, the Danish men’s doubles – number three in the world – after losing the first set 18-21 in the finals, the two Danish came back strong with 21-9 and 21-7 in the next two sets against number five in the world – Japanese Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa to triumph at the French Open.
Meanwhile, mixed Doubles champions belonged Indonesian Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir, who easily beat England’s Chris Adcock-Gabrielle Adcock 21-9 21-16 in 33 minutes.
