HONG KONG, Nov 17 (AFP) Home favourite Lee Cheuk-yiu battled to victory over Indonesia�s Anthony Ginting to secure a shock Hong Kong Open win as the city�s pro-democracy protests raged nearby on Sunday.
Lee, 23, came from a game behind and then saw off championship point in a thrilling decider before winning 16-21, 21-10, 22-20 to lift his first major trophy.
The final took place at the Hong Kong Coliseum, a short distance from the Polytechnic University where a police officer was wounded by a protester�s arrow in the latest fierce clashes. The city has been wracked by months of protests including this week�s chaos when major routes and rail services were blocked by masked protesters, bringing parts of the city to a standstill.
Lee�s title run, which includes surprise wins over Denmark�s Viktor Axelsen and Kidambi Srikanth of India in the quarter- and semi-finals, comes after he appeared to show support for the protesters.
After winning his opening match, the world number 27 held up an outstretched right hand and his left index finger, a gesture interpreted as supporting �Five demands, not one less� � a slogan chanted by the demonstrators. �Those who understand will understand, those who don�t, just forget it,� Lee said this week when asked to explain his celebration, according to the South China Morning Post. � AFP
