Olympic champion Lin Dan earned his most significant world tour showdown in two-and-a-half years with a third successive straight games victory to ensure a meeting with world champion Chen Long in the semi-finals of the All-England Open.
The 31-year-old Chinese legend out manoeuvred Kento Momota, a 20-year-old hero of Japan’s Thomas Cup world team triumph, by 21-18, 21-19 in Birmingham on Friday.
He proved himself as both a tactical maestro, and as possessed of the greatest range of strokes in the game.
Lin was slightly behind during most of the first game against an opponent who tended to prosper when he was able to launched speedy attacks. After getting his nose in front at 18-17, however, Lin was increasingly able alter the character of the match.
“I found a way to win the points more easily,” he said. “I tried to control the game and prevent Momota from making further attacks. I was really happy with the way I was able to adjust.”
Lin did it by mixing pushes to the net with accurate flicks and lifts to the back corners, and after winning the first game gained an immediate benefit from the change on mood.
He took six points in a row and then went on to 9-2, moving fluently and playing his cat and mouse game masterfully. Lin did, he admitted, lose a little concentration at that stage, and Momota reduced the deficit to just one point near the end.
But Lin reached match point with a rare smash and closed it out when he forced Momota to lift the shuttle wide, ensuring the all-Chinese semi-final showdown. Very shortly afterwards the top-seeded Chinese player, Chen Long, won 21-11, 21-11 against Chou Tien Chen, the sixth-seeded Taiwanese.
Predictably Lin did not feel it wise to speculate on the nature of a match with a compatriot, commenting merely that “it’s a team mate again – and I’ll try my best.” He had beaten Xue Song, another team mate, in three surprisingly difficult games in the first round.
Earlier another Chinese player, Sun Yu, the unseeded 21-year-old from Dalian, scored her second shock win in two days to become a surprise semi-final survivor in the women’s singles.
The improving Sun beat Ratchanok Intanon, the 20-year-old former world champion from Thailand, coming from 11-14 down in the second game and from 7-12 down in the third. Sun then built a six-point lead after which Intanon collapsed and called a halt.
Her injury was mysteriously self-inflicted as she attempted a routine smash, during which she toppled and fell prostrate. Eventually she was declared to have cramp in a calf muscle, giving Sun victory by a score of 11-21, 21-19, 19-13 retired.
It was hard not to sense that the injury had been related to self-inflicted wounds of a different kind, as Intanon produced some spectacular misses when in favourable situations to win the match.
She should have reached 19-19 in the second game but when presented with a short clear she dumped a smash into the net. Intanon should then have reached 13-7 in the third game but missed another smash from even closer in, with Sun turning away to protect herself.
After that Intanon‘s game imploded, causing her to lose 11 points in a row. She won only one more point before collapsing, needing several minutes of on-court treatment while Sun shook hands and departed to the changing room.
The previous day Sun had outplayed the Olympic champion Li Xuerui, 21-13, 21-12, taking her win with a similar calm as that against Intanon. The top-seeded Chinese player was still working her way back to fitness after spending time away with injuries, but Sun’s focus throughout was impressive.
Sun now plays Saina Nehwal, the world number three from India, who scored the first win of her career over Wang Yihan, the former world champion from China, by 21-19, 21-6.
The other women’s semi-final will be between Carolina Marin, the world champion from Spain, who beat Sung Ji-Hyun, the fourth-seeded Korean, by 21-18, 22-20, and Tai Tzu Ting, the seventh seeded Taiwanese who ended the title defence of Wang Shixian, the second-seeded Chinese player, by 21-18, 9-21, 21-19.
AFP
Sat Mar 07 2015
Olympic champion Lin Dan (right) will meet world champion Chen Long (left) in the semi-finals of the All-England Open.
Kertas kabinet wujud sektor sukan dibentang dalam tempoh sebulan - Hannah
Hannah berkata dengan data yang lebih menyeluruh melibatkan sektor industri sukan nanti, pihaknya akan mampu merangsang pertumbuhan sukan di negara ini dengan lebih baik.
Tiga Syarikat Semikonduktor umum melabur di Pulau Pinang - Kon Yeow
Tiga syarikat semikonduktor dari China menyatakan komitmen untuk membuat pelaburan baharu di Pulau Pinang.
Pindaan garis panduan lawatan: Sekolah diharap susun semula program - Fadhlina
Semua sekolah diharap dapat menyusun semula program lawatan masing-masing berikutan pindaan Garis Panduan Lawatan Murid Sekolah pada tahun lepas bagi mengukuhkan pembelajaran di luar kelas, kata Menteri Pendidikan, Fadhlina Sidek.
Kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak dijaga sehingga tamat sekolah - KPM
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia akan memastikan kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak 10 pegawai dan anggota Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia yang terkorban dalam nahas helikopter di Lumut, Perak, terus dijaga sehingga mereka tamat persekolahan.
Chegubard ditahan polis berkaitan hantaran mengenai kasino di Forest City
Chegubard ditahan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi di sini berkaitan hantaran mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City pada Sabtu.
Zahid minta pihak dalam BN buka "buku baharu"
Ahmad Zahid menegaskan senario politik tanah air sudah berubah dan terdapat banyak video lama dari parti lawan yang meminta pengundi menyokong DAP.
Malaysia kongsi pengalaman dalam usaha berterusan mempertahan Palestin
Delegasi negara akan berkongsikan peranan Malaysia dalam usaha berterusan mempertahankan nasib Palestin dalam Persidangan Liga Parlimen Al-Quds kelima yang berlangsung di Istanbul, Turki pada Sabtu.
Universiti Malaya mohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia
Jabatan Pengajian Antarabangsa dan Strategik, Universiti Malaya memohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia berhubung kenytaaan tidak bertanggungjawab Profesor Dr Bruce Gilley pada 24 April lalu.
Genting Malaysia nafi terbabit perbincangan
Selepas Berjaya Corporation Bhd dan Kerajaan Negeri Johor, kini Genting Malaysia Bhd pula menafikan sebarang penglibatan dalam perbincangan mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City, Johor.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Sabtu, 27 April 2024.