Chong Wei slays Lin Dan, women's doubles tie is longest ever match
WUHAN: Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei ended defending champion, Lin Dan's hopes retaining the Dong Feng Citroen Badminton Asia Championships at the Wuhan Sports Center here saturday.
The 33-year-old Chong Wei snatched a sensational victory in three sets 22-20, 15-21, 21-14 in 71 minutes.
The former world No 1 will face top seed Chen Long of China in the final on Sunday in a repeat of the Malaysia Open final last month. Chen Long, the reigning world No 1 defeated last year's beaten finalist Tian Houwei 21-14, 21-16 in a 50 minute match.
Chong Wei was 20-17 down in the first set but reeled off five points in a row to take the set at 22-20. In the second set Lin Dan set the pace for a 21-15 win.
It was a cruise for Chong Wei in the rubber. The Malaysian opened up 7-0 lead before Lin Dan got his first point. And in no time, it was 14-1 for Chong Wei with Lin Dan making numerous errors while the Malaysian was superb with his cross court smashes and net play. Lin Dan was left shaking his head.
It was Chong Wei's 11th win over Super Dan in 36 meetings.
It will be a second Chen Long-Chong Wei final in three weeks. The two met in the Malaysia Open Superseries Premier final in Shah Alam on April 10 with Chong Wei wresting the title from Chen Long for his 11th Malaysian Open title in straight sets.
The women's singles final will be an all-China affair with top seed Li Xuerui taking on compatriot and sixth seed Wang Yihan. In the semi-finals Xuerui defeated Korea's Sung Ji-hyunH 22-20, 21-11 in 40 minutes while Yihan stopped India's fifth seeded Saina Nehwal 21-16, 21-14.
Saturday's semi-finals also saw a world record of the longest match played in an international meet when Japan's unseeded Naoko Fukuman-Kurumi Yanao came back from a set down to upset world No 2 and third seeds Nitya Krishinda Maheswari-Greysia Polii of Indonesia 13-21, 21-19, 24-22 in a marathon encounter which lasted 2 hours 41 minutes.
With the win by Fukuman-Yanao it will be an all-Japan affair in the women's doubles against top seeds Misaki Matsutomo who had little trouble in their 21-16, 21-19 win over Koreans Chang Ye-na-Lee So-hee.
Top seeds Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong of Korea's were too strong for their Japanese opponents Kamura Takeshi-Keigo Sonoda in their 21-17, 21-18 win in the men's doubles. Unseeded Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen upset compatriots and fourth seeds Fu Haifeng-Zhang 23-21, 21-19 in the other semi-final.
The mixed doubles final will be a battle between the top two seeds. Defending champions Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir, seeded only second in Wuhan, will face top seeds Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei for the title after both pairs defeated their Korean opponents in the last four.
SEMIFINALS RESULTS
Men's singles
Chen Long (Chn) beat Tian Houwei (Chn) 21-14, 21-16
Lee Chong Wei (Mas) beat Lin Dan (Chn) 22-20, 15-21, 21-4
Men's doubles
Liu Junhui-Liu Yuchen (Chn) beat Fu Haifeng-Zhang Nan (Chn) beat 23-21, 21-19
Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor) beat Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda (Jpn) 21-17, 21-18
Women's singles
Wang Yihan (Chn) beat Saina Nehwal (Ind) 21-16, 21-14
Li Xuerui (Chn) beat Sung Ji-hyun (Kor) 20-22, 21-11
Women's doubles
Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) beat Chang Ye-na-Lee So-hee (Kor) 21-16, 21-19
Naoko Fukuman-Kurumi Yanao (Jpn) beat Nitya Krishinda Maheswari-Greysia Polii 13-21, 21-19, 24-22
Mixed doubles
Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) beat Ko Sung-hyun-Kim Ha-na (Kor) 21-19, 21-11
Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir (Ina) beat Shin Baek-cheol-Chae Yoo-jung (Kor) 21-16, 21-13
