All England Badminton 2011: Denmark stage champagne comeback as Lee Chong Wei wins plaudits
Telegraph Sport's final update from the All England Badminton Championships in Birmingham, featuring a frenetic men's doubles final, supremacy from Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei and why world badminton should do more to promote players like Russia's Anastasia Russkikh.
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Out of reach: Malaysian doubles pair just can't get a racket on a perfect lob from the Danes Photo: ALAN SPINK / ACTIONPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK
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Pure joy: Mogensen and Boe celebrate their first All England title Photo: ALAN SPINK / ACTIONPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK
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Delight: Lee Chong Wei dropped to the floor after landing second title Photo: ALAN SPINK / ACTIONPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK
By Rod Gilmour 6:00PM GMT 13 Mar 2011
Shot of the day
After a jaw-dropping rally of quick-fire shots, Mathias Boe sends a looping winner past the despairing Malaysian doubles pair Koo Keat and Tan Heong. The winner helped Boe and Carsten Mogensen, Denmark's world No 1 pair, fight back from 11-16 down in the third to win a frenetic decider and their first All England badminton title. Champagne moment of the week.
Match of the day
The men's doubles final had everything: through-the-legs returns, rampaging smashes and stop-drop winners. The Danes had lost their last five finals against Keat and Heong, as well as surrendering four match points in last year's final but their courage won through. "With 10,000 people watching and a great atmosphere, it's by far our biggest achievement," said Boe, who slumped to the ground at the denouement. "We're going back to Denmark tonight but we have two big bottles of champagne and I think we will drink them."
Player of the tournament
Superior movement and shuttle control landed Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei his second All England singles title. The world No 1's quick feet and incisive net winners left his opponents struggling all week. Catch him before retirement as he is an extraordinary talent.
Young Player of the tournament
Russia's doubles specialist Anastasia Russkikh is a mirror image of Anna Kornikova with talent to match. The 26 year-old reached the mixed doubles semi-finals with her Indonesian partner Hendra Setiawan. If only world badminton could do more to realising potential when it comes to the fashion stakes.
Quote of the day
"I'm sad not to have won to try to give a boost to Japanese people back home. But I'm happy to have been part of a good match."
Unseeded Eriko Hirose, the first Japanese to reach the inal since 1979, after a perilously tight three-game defeat to Wang Shixian, China's world No 1.
Making a difference
Don't be afraid if you come across a badminton-wielding Flashmob on June 5. In a first for sport, the badminton charitable foundation Solibad plans to stage flashmobs at iconic sites in up to 25 cities to publicise its work, including charity work in Haiti.
See the World's best live: You can watch the best players on the planet compete at the Yonex BWF World Championships, Wembley Arena from Aug 8-14 and Telegraph readers get 20% off tickets. Log on at www.badminton2011.co.uk or call 0844 815 0815. Quote code TELE20 when booking.
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