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Top-seeded Lin Dan makes magnificent recovery in England

Lin Dan gets airborne during the men's singles quarter-finals of the All England Open Badminton Championships at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England, on Friday. PHOTO: EPA

Lin Dan made a magnificent recovery to reach the semi-finals of the All-England Open just when he seemed headed for defeat on Friday.

The top-seeded titleholder from China was 9-14 down in the final game against the athletic defending of Sony Dwi Kuncoro before overcoming the Indonesian 18-21, 21-11, 21-18 in an outstanding contest.

Lin began to turn it around by being prepared to play out a sequence of long rallies in the middle of the final game, gradually edging his way back.

The versatile left-hander then began to make progress more quickly once the scores had reach parity, mixing in sudden sliced smashes, with spectacular dives across the floor and delicate net shots.

Lin won seven points in a row and 10 points out of 13, a damaging blow to the morale of Kuncoro, who had earlier in the week defeated Muhammad Hafiz Hashim, the former All-England champion from Malaysia, but now saw the best win of his career being wrenched form his grasp.

The end came with yet another of the many ways which Lin has to win rallies -- a brilliantly directed jab to the body in a fast, flat mid-court exchange with the shuttle traveling at speeds of more than 240kph.

This was impressive, but it was Lin's third hard match in succession and there were phases when he seemed subdued.
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