Olympic champion on a high again
SHANGHAI: Badminton superstar and home hero Lin Dan will look to prove he has put injury and controversy firmly in the past when he headlines a top-quality field at this week's China Open.
One of China's biggest sports stars, Lin Dan's roller-coaster season resumed an upward trajectory when he shot to victory in Hong Kong at the weekend to claim his first trophy since the World Championships in August.
The Olympic champion has weathered new accusations that he handed out walkovers to benefit teammates, as well as a foot injury and a shock defeat to Hong Kong's Wing Ki Wong in Denmark.
But he returned to his sublime best to oust great rival Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the Hong Kong semis, before crushing teammate Chen Jin 21-12, 21-19 in Sunday's final.
"It's been a long time since I won the Hong Kong Open," said the five-time Hong Kong champion, who last won the title in 2007. "In between there were two or three years I didn't play very well so that's why I didn't win, but it's good to win this time."
Lin Dan has recovered from sixth to third in the rankings this season and the sport's most successful player, who turned 28 last month, will target an Olympic defence next year at what will almost certainly be his last Games.
The unflappable left-hander also knows time is running out to capture his first win in the annual Superseries Finals, which take place next month in China's Liuzhou.
At the US$350,000 (RM1.1 million) Shanghai tournament this week, Lin Dan's teammates Chen Long, ranked second in the world, and fifth-ranked Chen Jin are also bidding to secure one of China's two men's singles spots for the finals in Liuzhou.
World No 1 Chong Wei can claim his seventh Super Series win this year, while Indonesia's ex-Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat will bid to bounce back from his two losses to Thailand's Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk at the Sea Games.
In the women's singles, China's three Wangs -- Wang Shixian, Wang Yihan and Wang Xin, currently ranked one, two and three -- look set to extend their dominance after claiming all but one Super Series trophy this year.
Wang Xin took the honours in Hong Kong against German veteran Juliane Schenk, and the all-conquering Wangs will face competition from teammate Jiang Yanjiao and India's Saina Nehwal, ranked fourth.
The Shanghai crowd will also be hoping for a second successive China sweep after Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, and Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei claimed the Hong Kong men's, women's and mixed doubles titles. - AFP
One of China's biggest sports stars, Lin Dan's roller-coaster season resumed an upward trajectory when he shot to victory in Hong Kong at the weekend to claim his first trophy since the World Championships in August.
The Olympic champion has weathered new accusations that he handed out walkovers to benefit teammates, as well as a foot injury and a shock defeat to Hong Kong's Wing Ki Wong in Denmark.
But he returned to his sublime best to oust great rival Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the Hong Kong semis, before crushing teammate Chen Jin 21-12, 21-19 in Sunday's final.
"It's been a long time since I won the Hong Kong Open," said the five-time Hong Kong champion, who last won the title in 2007. "In between there were two or three years I didn't play very well so that's why I didn't win, but it's good to win this time."
Lin Dan has recovered from sixth to third in the rankings this season and the sport's most successful player, who turned 28 last month, will target an Olympic defence next year at what will almost certainly be his last Games.
The unflappable left-hander also knows time is running out to capture his first win in the annual Superseries Finals, which take place next month in China's Liuzhou.
At the US$350,000 (RM1.1 million) Shanghai tournament this week, Lin Dan's teammates Chen Long, ranked second in the world, and fifth-ranked Chen Jin are also bidding to secure one of China's two men's singles spots for the finals in Liuzhou.
World No 1 Chong Wei can claim his seventh Super Series win this year, while Indonesia's ex-Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat will bid to bounce back from his two losses to Thailand's Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk at the Sea Games.
In the women's singles, China's three Wangs -- Wang Shixian, Wang Yihan and Wang Xin, currently ranked one, two and three -- look set to extend their dominance after claiming all but one Super Series trophy this year.
Wang Xin took the honours in Hong Kong against German veteran Juliane Schenk, and the all-conquering Wangs will face competition from teammate Jiang Yanjiao and India's Saina Nehwal, ranked fourth.
The Shanghai crowd will also be hoping for a second successive China sweep after Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, and Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei claimed the Hong Kong men's, women's and mixed doubles titles. - AFP
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