'Super Dan' coasts to Hong Kong title

Olympic and four-time world champion Lin Dan crushed Chen Jin 21-12, 21-19 in an all-Chinese men's singles final at the Hong Kong Open on Sunday, drawing an emphatic line under a recent indifferent spell.

Victory over 2010 world champion Chen in the ê250,000 event was just the second Super Series title of the year for third-ranked "Super Dan", badminton's most decorated player, who won his fourth world championship in August.

Lin, who ended the hopes of Malaysian arch-rival and world number one Lee Chong Wei in the semi-finals, proved too strong for Chen in front of a passionate crowd at the Hong Kong Coliseum.

After a closely fought opening to the match, left-handed Lin won seven consecutive points to seal the first game 21-12. He hit a total of eight smash winners in the game, always looking in control.

The second game was more closely fought as a dogged Chen refused to let Lin get away but the world champion eventually wrapped it up 21-19, sealing the match in 31 minutes.

The 28-year-old Beijing Olympic champion has courted controversy by forfeiting matches against Chinese team-mates through injury or illness.

Lin was forced to pull out of last month's French Open semi-finals when in sight of victory following an early exit at the Denmark Open.

An injury-blighted season also saw him concede a walkover to Chen Jin in the semi-final of September's Japan Open.