RIO DE JANEIRO: Enough is enough.
Lee Chong Wei finally got one over arch-rival Lin Dan at the Olympics.
Having lost twice in the finals to the Chinese at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, the 33-year-old Malaysian came good in the men’s singles semi-final at the Rio Games on Friday.
The world No. 1 won 15-21, 21-11, 22-20 in 79 minutes to set up a gold medal showdown with China’s second-seeded Chen Long in Saturday’s final (8.20pm, Malaysian time).
Chen Long defeated Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 21-14, 21-15 in 48 minutes in the other semi-final.
But it was the first semi-final which kept everyone glued to their seats – in the stadium and back at home.
It was another interesting clash between the two galacticos of world badminton.
With Chinese fans screaming jia you (literally meaning 'step on the gas'), it was Lin Dan who set the pace in the opening game. The 32-year-old was always in the lead, at one time stretching his advantage to six points at 13-7 and 16-10.
From then on, it was an uphill task for Chong Wei to close the gap as he conceded the first in 24 minutes.
Chong Wei, however, changed his strategy in the second game. It proved fruitful as he surged to a 5-0, 13-2 and 18-7 lead as Lin Dan looked uncomfortable with the change of court, making many unforced errors.
So, it was inevitable that another three-game clash between the two would happen for the 21st time in 37 clashes as Chong Wei won in 19 minutes.
It was a neck-and-neck battle in the rubber, with Lin Dan leading 11-10 at the changeover.
Chong Wei then pulled away to lead 20-17, but Lin Dan played the best patch at that stage, saving three match points to force deuce.
But Chong wei pulled ahead again. And this time, he did not waste his fourth match point, sinking to his knees in celebration after securing the 22-20 win in 36 minutes.
Despite missing the chance to go for a record third Olympic gold, Lin Dan gave Chong Wei a hug after the match.
Chong Wei was out of breath when he came to the mixed zone to be interviewed by the press.
“I’m very happy with my performance. I didn’t expect it. In fact, I didn’t expect to come to these Olympics (after the eight-month doping ban in August, 2014) as the world No. 1.
“I was 182nd when I returned. To qualify, I didn’t think would be a problem, but to get a seeding would be difficult.
“Without a seeding, I would meet the top players early.
“Not that I cannot win, but with a seeding the path would be easier,” he said.
He added that he had a heart-to-heart talk with coach Hendrawan, a former Indonesian Olympic silver medallist in 2000 and world champion in 2001, before yesterday’s semi-finals.
“I had a 30-minute talk with him, asking him about his experience and so forth. After that, I went to sleep,” said Chong Wei.
He added that it was also a difficult Olympics for him due to the competition schedule, having to play only after every two days from the group matches to the semi-finals.
“It has been a long wait, sitting around for two days without playing. I feel like I have been here for two months. It’s a real mental torture,” he said.
In the London final, Chong Wei lost 15-21, 21-10, 19-21 to Lin Dan.
When asked what he was thinking when he was leading 20-17, Chong Wei said: “I said ‘don’t let whatever happened in London happen here’. At 20-20, I didn’t want to think of anything ... just try my best and let God decide.”
On the final, Chong Wei said: “I’m not going to think of winning.
“It doesn’t matter who I meet. I’ll prepare and focus on the final. I’ll also watch the semis (between Chen Long-Axelsen).”
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