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| August 18, 2007 | Saturday | Sha’aban 4, 1428 |
Lin through but two sets of champions bow out
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17: China’s Lin Dan kept the flag flying for the titleholders on quarter-finals day at the world badminton championships on Friday. After men’s doubles champions Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng of China and mixed doubles holders Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms of England relinquished their crowns within 40 minutes of each other, Lin steadied the ship in the men’s singles.
The Chinese top seed scored a 22-20, 21-9 victory over Anup Sridhar, the unseeded Indian who earlier in the week knocked out Olympic champion Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia.
Lin was joined in the semi-finals by compatriot Bao Chunlai, a 21-18, 21-15 victor over Denmark’s Kenneth Jonassen, and Indonesia’s Sony Dwi Kuncoro, who edged out Jonassen’s better known compatriot Peter Gade 22-20, 21-18.
The fireworks had come in mid-afternoon when men’s doubles sixth seeds Choong Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah of Malaysia beat Cai and Fu 15-21, 21-18, 21-19.
Amid tumultuous scenes at the Putra Stadium, the Malaysians trailed 19-16 in the decider but swept to victory, winning the last five points in a row to the delight of a partisan crowd.
Choong and Lee, once world championship bronze medallists, are these days seen more as Malaysia’s back-up to young second seeds Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong.
Their victory raises real hopes that after 30 years of waiting since the inaugural tournament in 1977, Malaysia can finally land a world title.
Lee told a media conference: “We are just going to do what we have done for the last few days. We are not under pressure, we will just fight.”
Malaysia also retain aspirations in the women’s singles through Wong Mew Choo, who ousted defending champion Xie Xingfang on Thursday, and Commonwealth women’s doubles champions Wong Pei Tty and Chin Ei Hui.
In the mixed doubles, a 21-13, 21-16 defeat for England’s Robertson and Emms at the hands of Indonesian sixth seeds Flandy Limpele and Vita Marissa came hard on the heels of a loss for friends and compatriots Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg.
They succumbed to third-seeded Chinese pair Xie Zhongbo and Zhang Yawen 21-13, 21-10.
In Madrid last year, England enjoyed a stellar championships, coming home with a gold and two silvers.
But medal hopes now rest with Emms and Kellogg who have a tough women’s doubles against three-times champions Gao Ling and Huang Sui late on Friday.—Reuters
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