‘Super Dan’ reigns supreme in Asian Games

INCHEON: Olympic champion Lin Dan beat world title-holder Chen Long in an epic, all-China badminton men’s singles final at the Asian Games, with the young star coming agonisingly close to taking the crown.

Chen Long went a game up but defending champion Lin Dan fought back to take the second before a show of power and agility in the third saw him win the match 12-21, 21-16, 21-16.

It meant that 25-year-old Chen Long remains without a win against the 30-year-old “Super Dan”, widely regarded as badminton’s best-ever player, with a 0-7 record in their head-to-head.

A confident Chen Long was in attacking mood in the first game, surging to an 11-4 lead. Lin Dan tried to push back but found it hard to close out the points as Chen Long dug out returns and blocked powerful drives.

Lin Dan looked flat in the last part of the first game, putting the final two points in the net for Chen Long to take it 21-12.

The second game was a mesmerising duel as Lin Dan closed Chen Long’s early three-point lead and went into the break 11-8 up after a driving backhand pass followed by an unreturnable body shot.

But Chen Long punched back to 16-16, keeping his head in complex rallies before his veteran team-mate turned on the class.

Lin Dan nonchalantly took the fire out of Chen Long’s driving shots and beat him with lightning reflexes at the net before winning the game 21-16 with a cross-court smash.

In the break before the third, the match turned into a battle of the torsos with women in the crowd screaming as Chen Long changed his shirt, only for Lin Dan to decide to do the same – provoking an even louder response.

The third was another tussle with Chen Long taking an early lead and Lin Dan pulling back, reaching for everything Chen Long put his way and closing to 8-8 with a lucky net cord shot.

Lin Dan went into the break 11-8 up after Chen Long put two in the net and the champion went on to unleash a volley of fast returns, lunging and diving, with his younger rival forced into defence mode.

Chen Long had chances but couldn’t convert, berating himself as Lin Dan stretched ahead to take the third game and the match 21-16.

Lin Dan turned to the crowd and pumped his fists after his victory, again removing his shirt and replacing it with a Chinese flag thrown down to him from the stands, while a disconsolate Chen Long stood on the sidelines waiting for a handshake. — AFP