Lee Gets His Dozen – Finals: Celcom Axiata Malaysia Open 2018
A dozen titles. Incredible as it sounds, the 12th title on home soil fell in place for Lee Chong Wei, continuing a saga that can rival any in sport for the magnitude of achievement at any single event.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The final point in the riveting Men’s Singles final of the Celcom Axiata Malaysia Open 2018 was referred to the Instant Review System. The graphic showed that his rival Kento Momota’s shot had fallen long by a few millimetres. And then Lee Chong Wei collapsed on the floor, face down, and lay there a long time even as the crowd went delirious with joy.
Lee might have had 11 titles in the run-up to the final, but it was Momota who had captured most of the attention. The manner in which the Japanese dismantled his earlier challengers, and his unbeaten 21-match winning streak since March, boded ominously for the Malaysian, particularly as he was one of Momota’s victims at the Badminton Asia Championships. Recent form suggested that Lee would have a stiff fight on his hands.
And yet, it was Lee who kept a mesmeric hold of the game. The Japanese was prevented from unleashing his whippy, sharp smash; he was kept off-balance and guessing with the variations in pace and angles. On a couple of occasions the Asian champion was left stranded, unable to guess the soft shots that Lee alternated with his bread-and-butter jump smash.