Rising Chinese star Qiao Bin won the final round of the men's singles at the Badminton World Federation Korea Open Sunday after crushing South Korean veteran Son Wan-Ho.
The 23-year-old unseeded player, currently world number 41 in men's singles, defeated the sixth seed, world number eight Son 21-11, 21-23, 21-7. "I'm so thrilled. I have no words to express my feelings," Qiao said. "I have learned my game by watching many of my seniors. First of all, I should mention Lin Dan and Chen Long as my models," he said, referring to two top Chinese players. Sunday's game also saw South Korean superstar Lee Yong-Dae retire from international matches after winning the men's doubles with Yoo Yeon-Seong. The duo staged an upset against China's Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen - champions at last week's Yonex Open Japan - 16-21, 22-20, 21-18 in a nail-biting 85-minute thriller. "It was a difficult match...but I am glad that I was able to finish my international career with such a good game," Lee said after the match.