Listless Lin Dan loses match and his All-England Open title, but Lee Chong Wei storms into final
Defending champion bows out meekly in semi-final against Chinese compatriot
Lin Dan, the three-times Olympic champion, lost his men’s singles title at the All-England Open with a bewilderingly limp straight games semi-final defeat by his fellow Chinese player Shi Yuqi.
The man regarded as the greatest player of all time briefly held two game points at 20-18 in the first game against the unseeded Shi, before slipping quietly away to a 24-22, 21-10 defeat.
Lin’s deflating loss ended hopes of another final showdown between the veteran greats – the 33-year-old Lin, and the 34-year-old world number one from Malaysia, Lee Chong Wei, who had already reached the final.
“My condition is not very good,” said Lin though he had looked in good shape while coming from a game down to beat Viktor Axelsen, the World Super Series champion from Denmark, the night before.
“I am proud of the way I am still able to play at this level at my age.”
It was a wonderful turn-around after a slow first game and a tournament preparation which had been decimated by injury – so wonderful that afterwards Lee announced that his retirement, which has been mooted at least three times in the past four years, has been postponed yet again.