Badminton world champion Xie Xingfang leapt to the defense of her boyfriend Lin Dan yesterday after he was accused of being arrogant and widely disliked, calling his accuser Taufik Hidayat "cold."
The 25-year-old was replying to an extraordinary personal attack on world No.1 Lin by Indonesia's Olympic champion Hidayat.
Hidayat, who has a reputation as the `bad boy' of badminton, on Friday slammed Lin as arrogant and said he was widely disliked by other players.
PHOTO: AFP
Xie had an equally hard-hitting response.
"If we're talking about arrogance and a cold personality then I definitely think that Taufik is worse than Lin Dan," Xie said.
Xie also blasted Hidayat's temperament which has seen him walk off court before, as in Hong Kong in September when he picked up his bags and stormed out of his quarter-final against Lin after only five points.
"Lin Dan wouldn't just give up a match like Taufik. That is rude to the spectators and rude to fans," Xie said.
Xie had been stung into action by Hidayat's astonishing tirade.
"I don't like Lin," said Hidayat, who is the defending Asian Games champion "He's just a good player -- off the courts I don't think he's a good person. Many players don't like Lin Dan. He's arrogant and he doesn't talk to you."
"I know he's a good player, yes, he's the world No.1, but he's not nice to other players," added Hidayat, who is playing his last Asian Games.
Xie was also in feisty form over why she was nicknamed "Beauty."
"If you play well, people will think you are pretty. If you don't play well, people don't think that," she said.
Xie was speaking after leading China to a 5-0 cleansweep over Indonesia in their group team match at the Asian Games.
Xie beat her opponent Adriyanti Firdasari 21-13, 21-13 and indicated she still had plenty in reserve.
"I haven't woken up yet. I am still half asleep," she said.
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