Top seed Lin Dan saved one match point to beat Malaysia's Lee
Chong Wei 15-9, 10-15, 17-14 in a nerve-wrecking and gripping
semifinal at the All England Open on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Chinese shuttler will meet in the final South
Korea's Lee Hyun-II who beat Peter Gade of Denmark 3-15, 15-8, 15-1
in the other semifinal.
Lin was nearly pushed to the end when he trailed Lee 6-13 in the
third set, but he managed to come back with a heroic display
winning 11 points while conceding only one.
"I am not happy with my performance as I should have won the
second set. It was very hard when I was 6-13 behind. When I made it
10-13 I felt better and I thought I could win."
Lee was happy with the fact that he could make Lin fight hard.
"Last time I lost to Lin Dan I did not put up a fight so I am very
pleased that I fought hard today."
"I am very tired and I have cramp in my leg. I found it hard in
the third game. I tried to keep it moving but it did mean I had to
slow down," he added.
In the women's single final, top seed Zhang Ning will meet her
Chinese teammate second seed Xie Xingfang after holding off
France's Pi Hongyan 11-3, 9-11, 11-3.
Xie fought from one game behind to beat Dutch veteran Mia Audina
Tjiptawan 11-13, 11-0, 11-7.
(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2006)
