LONDON (AP) — Li Xuerui has beaten world champion Wang Yihan 21-15, 21-23, 21-17 in an all-Chinese final of Olympic badminton women’s singles.
Wang saved two match points in the second game, but Li nailed the win on her third. She tossed her racket, raised her arms and saluted the crowd in Wembley Arena.
Li was a last-minute entry by China, which chose her ahead of former No. 1 Wang Shixian because of a 30-match winning streak this year, including three wins over Wang Yihan.
Earlier, Saina Nehwal became only the second woman from India to medal in the Olympics when Wang Xin of China retired injured during their playoff for the bronze.
