LIN LIWEN WINS NORWEGIAN INTERNATIONAL TITLE
by Mike Grossman (from reports filed by Michael Dahl and YANG YANG Badminton Equipment)

Noevember 10, 1996 (New Shuttlenws) - The highly ranked Lin Liwen of China defeated Henrik Bengtsson of Sweden in the men's singles championship match of the Norwegian International badminton tournament in Sandefjord, Norway today.

The men's singles finals match had its fair share of excitement as Bengtsson gave Lin a tough time in the first 4 games before running out of steam in the fifth and deciding setto.

(The tournament was being played under the experimental 5x9 scoring system where a match is played on a best of 5 9-point games. In the Norwegian 5x9 system, when both players or pairs are tied at game point, there is no setting, badminton's equivalent of the tennis tie-break.)

Lin dropped the first game to Bengtsson, 7-9, and then won the next one 9-6. The third one game was tightly contested with Lin eking out the win at 9-8. Bengtsson managed to stay in the match by taking the fourth game 9-5.

The decider was all Lin's though as he ran away with the game, winning at 9-1.

In the women's singles finals, the ever-improving Kelly Morgan of Wales beat the favored Marina Andrievskaya of Sweden 9-5, 9-0, 4-9 and 9-8.

In the men's doubles championship match, the unrelated Robertsons from England, Nathan and Julian, defeated Henrik Andersson and Johan Tholinsson of Sweden in straight games 9-2, 9-8 and 9-3.

The women's doubles title was won by Mette Schjoldager and Pernille Harder of Denmark with their 4-9, 9-0, 9-7 and 9-8 victory over the Swedish pair of Johanna Holgersson and Jenny Karlsson.

Julian Robertson added the mixed doubles title to his men's doubles success when he and compatriot Gail Emms beat Jonas Rasmussen and Ann-Lou Jorgensen of Denmark 9-6, 2-9, 9-5 and 9-5 in the finals.