Hong Kong's Wong Wing-ki found out what a difference three weeks can make after world and Olympic champion Lin Dan gained revenge at the US$250,000 Sunrise-Yonex Hong Kong Open last night.
Having claimed a remarkable three-game victory over Lin at the Denmark Open last month, Wong found little chance of repeating that success as he lost in straight games, 21-16, 21-16, at the Hong Kong Coliseum.
'I tried everything I could, but he simply didn't give me a chance this time,' Wong said. 'Unlike our previous encounter, this time he stayed focused and took the initiative from the start. I had to work hard to cope with his aggressive play and his pace was simply too much for me to handle.
'There is no disappointment. The result shows there is still a big gap between Lin and me and I need to make a lot of progress before I can match his level.'
Lin admitted he was better prepared this time. 'I did not play well in our first encounter, but I was a lot better today,' the world No 3 said.
Lin will find it tougher in his next match as he meets Shon Wan-ho of South Korea. 'The court lighting is still too strong and sometimes it was difficult to see the shuttle,' Lin said, repeating his complaint from a day earlier.
Organisers of the tournament decided yesterday to reduce the court lighting after repeated requests from players.