China’s badminton superstar Lin Dan booked a place in the semi-finals of the world championships yesterday after overcoming teammate and second seed Chen Long.
The players were given a rapturous reception at the Tianhe gymnasium in Guangzhou, with the home crowd cheering loudly for both as they came on court.
The first game saw defending champion “Super Dan” and his 24-year-old rival trade point for point, drawing on an armory of high lifts, smashes and subtle drop shots. However, the game started to go Lin’s way after he leapt high in the air to drive home a smash to go up 13-10. On the next point Chen’s return sat on the net and refused to drop, gifting Lin — widely recognized as the best player of all time — a four-point lead.
Photo: AFP
A rampant Lin, 30, went on to take the first game 21-13 before slipping behind at the start of the second, but reigning All-England champion Chen failed to capitalize.
An enthralling encounter went down to the wire with a run of deuce scores until Chen sent his final shot into the net as Lin took the game 22-20, the younger player throwing down his racket in frustration.
“I’m not too disappointed with my performance, but I could have had a better end of the second game,” Chen said after the match. “There were several points I really had to win, but I didn’t. Maybe I have to be more aggressive.”
Lin paid tribute to his teammate, saying that he was a star of the future.
“We both had excellent performances — even if one doesn’t win, it doesn’t mean he didn’t perform well,” he said.
“Chen Long is very young, he will only be 28 in Rio [for the 2016 Olympics], which is a great age for a badminton player,” he said.
Lin’s clash with Chen, who is widely tipped as successor to his crown as China’s top player, was his toughest of the competition so far.
Lin, the four-time world champion and one of China’s biggest sports stars, has been on the sidelines for most of the past year to spend time with his family. His form was a mystery until the start of the tournament.
Meanwhile, No. 3 seed Du Pengyu of China beat India’s Kashyap Parupalli, the 13th seed, 16-21, 22-20, 21-15 to earn his semi-final place.
In the women’s singles top seed Li Xuerui proved too good for sixth seeded Taiwanese Tai Tzu-ying, winning their quarter-final 27-25, 21-13.
South Korea’s Bae Yeon-ju sprung a surprise, the No. 13 seed defeating third seeded Saina Nehwal of India 23-21, 21-9.
There was more disappointment for Taiwanese player in the men’s doubles with Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia beating Lee Sheng-mu and Tsai Chia-hsin of Taiwan 21-14, 21-18.
Additional reporting by staff writer
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely