Word number one shuttler Datuk Lee Chong Wei revealed that he is definitely thinking about featuring in next year's All England Championships shortly after taking home a fourth title from Birmingham on Sunday.
The Malaysian legend, who had earlier hinted that the recently-concluded edition of the World Superseries Premier would be his last, made a U-turn on his decision. Notably, Lee had doubts about participating in this year's tournament after suffering a knee injury last month but the 34-year-old pushed himself to represent his county in Birmingham.
His determination paid off when he decimated China's Shi Yuqi in straight games - 21-12, 21-10 - in the title match at the Barclaycard Arena yesterday. Lee dropped only one game in what was his first tournament of the ongoing season and clinched impressive wins against top-ranked shuttlers, Tian Houwei and Chou Tien Chen, enroute to the final.
While quite a few were rooting for a final between Lee and his arch rival Lin Dan, the latter, who had also reached the semi-final, slipped to a straight games defeat against Shi. The three-time Olympic silver medalist revealed that he was expecting a tough final after he saw the 21-year-old Chinese shuttler defeat his senior compatriot on Saturday.
Also read: Stanislas Wawrinka vs Philipp Kohlschreiber, Indian Wells Masters 2017 preview and time
"All England is my favourite tournament, and I 100 per cent want to come back next year. he said. I hope I can win again next year, and become a five-time All England champion," Lee said, as quoted by the tournament's official website.
"I have won a lot of Superseries titles, and this is my fourth at All England. It is a different feeling though because All England is an amazing tournament.
"When I came here this year, I was just back from injury, and this is my first tournament of the year. This win is very important for me.
"I am feeling so happy. I don't think it was an easy match, I tried to focus on my play. Yesterday, I saw Shi Yuqi play Lin Dan and he played very well, and when he beat Lin, I knew he would not be an easy player to beat. My focus was on playing my match, but when I got some points, I felt more confident."
