Xie Xingfang wins women's singles
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-08-22 15:04

China's Xie Xingfang upset her top seeded compatriot Zhang Ning to win the women's single title on Sunday at the world badminton championships here.

Second seed Xie outgunned the defending champion and world number one Zhang 11-8, 9-11 and 11-3. [CRIENGLISH]

Xie, 24, beat defending champion Zhang in three games 11-8, 9-11 and 11-3 to capture her first gold at the International Federation of Badminton world championships.

Zhang took an earlier lead in the first game 8-5, but Xie came back with a sixe-point winning streak to beat Zhang 11-8. In the second game, Zhang managed to come from behind at 0-2 and 7-9 to win. In the third game, Xie took total control and overpowered Zhang.

Xie said she played a normal game, because she was relaxed. She used the wind well in the first game to mount attacks on Zhang. But in the second game when she was against the wind, she underestimated Zhang's offensives.

Zhang said she failed to expand her lead in the first game when she led by 8-5 and in the third game, she made too many mistakes as she slowed down.

Zhang, a 30-year-old veteran, is both the Olympic and world championship title holder. She played second seeded Xie three times this year at international tournaments before the world championships and lost two the matches to Xie.

Zhang said she was glad to see new champions are emerging from the Chinese team, but said she did not know when she's going to retire from the team.

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