BADMINTON/Lee Chia-hao achieves career best with silver medal at All England Open

Taipei, March 17 (CNA) Taiwanese shuttler Lee Chia-hao (李佳豪) won a silver medal Sunday at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, which was a personal career best for him.

Lee, 25, took silver in the final of the men's singles against world No. 1 Shi Yuqi (石宇奇) of China, who won 21-17, 21-19 in a tough match that lasted 51 minutes.

After the match, the Taiwanese badminton player, who ranks No. 22 in the world, said it felt unreal to be challenging an opponent of Shi's caliber.

"I had to be in peak form and constantly switch my rhythm and tactics in order to score points effectively," he said.

Lee got off to a good start with 6-3 in the opener, but Shi soon gained the upper hand and clinched the first game after a series of unforced errors by the Taiwanese.

The match intensified after the mid-interval in the second game, with the two players leveling twice at 15-15 and 16-16. Later, the Chinese shuttler took advantage of Lee's unforced errors to win the match and secure his second All England Open title since 2018.

Lee said he lost consecutive points in the second game because "even the slightest deviation in my strategy turned into unforced errors."

Lee's strong showing in England came following a lengthy slump. After reaching the semifinals of the 2024 Taipei Open in early September, he had won only two matches in the nine tournaments he played in through the end of January 2025, which he said weighed heavily on him.

"But I later changed my mindset and was able to manage myself better," he said. "That allowed me to perform well in France and at the All England Open."

The silver medal on Sunday was Lee's best career performance, an achievement that he said was unexpected and a symbol of his ability to overcome his personal challenges.

His coach Feng Sheng-chieh (馮勝杰) praised him for gaining the runner-up title but said there was still room for improvement, particularly regarding the unforced errors.

Meanwhile, Lee's father said he hopes his son can work his way up in the world rankings this year to between 10th and 15th.