Lin Dan lose to unheralded South Korean

Lin Dan, the Chinese left-hander regarded as the greatest ever badminton player, lost his world title in limp fashion when he was beaten by relatively unheralded Korean Park Sung-Hwan here on Friday.

Park, the 13th seed, produced a worthy and efficient performance in overcoming the famous three-time champion 21-13, 21-13 -- but the most conspicuous feature was the relaxed way in which Lin accepted defeat.

At no stage did the player with the most versatile game on the tour, the athlete with the most spectacular jump smash, and the man with the most creative temperament, suggest that these qualities would function well enough to see him through.

Lin went behind at the start, strolled and stared when points began tumbling away from him, and appeared to get satisfaction from playing exhibition-style cat-and-mouse rallies.

But he lost as many of those as he won, and never looked to have the mentality for a comeback. Afterwards, he was said to have declined a press conference in the main media room.

However, Lin did speak to a group of predominantly Chinese journalists in the mixed zone, and, according to a translation, said: "I was in so much of a hurry -- I don't know why.

"Park played so patiently. I wanted to focus myself but I couldn't. Frankly speaking Park is a great player. This time I lose but it doesn't matter, because someone wins and someone loses.

"I really wanted to win this championship the first time," added Lin, who last year became the first player to win the title three times in a row.
"But now I can accept this."

None of this can really be considered a surprise. Before the tournament Lin made it clear that he was in Paris as much to spread the word about badminton as to win the title again.

Park, understandably, did not want to lose any credit for his notable victory.

"I am really happy with the result because it takes me to the next level," he said.

"I actually wasn't preparing to play Lin Dan at all this week. But every player wants to win the tournament and I do too."

Ordinarily this would have created a huge opportunity for Lee Chong Wei, the world number one from Malaysia, to win one of the sport's two major titles for the first time.

But this was no ordinary day. Lee was beaten 21-15, 11-21, 21-12 by Taufik Hidayat, the former world and Olympic champion from Indonesia.

Lee had looked to be wearing Hidayat down when leading 10-7 in the final game, but at that moment he played a smash which, he claims, aggravated a back injury he suffered the previous day.

"My movement was quite slow after that," Lee claimed.

Certainly, Lee won only two more points in the match thereafter, with Hidayat surprisingly able to get attack after attack through one of the best defences in the game.

"Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan are the top players -- I'm not," Hidayat said modestly. "I don't know why I won. I think I was lucky."
China can still win the world men's singles title, however.

In the other half of the draw, Chen Jin, the fourth seed who was world runner-up in Hyderabad last year, reached the semi-finals by beating Hsueh Tsuan Yi of Taiwan in three games.

Another player who was expected to reach a final but didn't was Saina Nehwal.

The second-seeded Indian was well below her best in a 21-8, 21-14 loss to Wang Shixian in the quarter-finals of the women's singles.

"Her strokes were very fast and so was her movement," Nehwal said of the sixth-seeded Chinese player. "But mine wasn't."

China could still provide both women's finalists because in the top half Wang Lin, the seventh seed, won 21-16, 21-17 against Eriko Hirose, the Japanese player who upset the favourite, Wang Yihan, the day before.

Wang Lin now plays Tine Baun, formerly Rasmussen, the fourth-seeded All-England Open champion from Denmark, who produced her best performance in five months in beating Cheng Shao-Chieh of Taiwan 21-18, 21-13.

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