Shi shines in shutting down Lin
BIRMINGHAM — Chinese superstar Lin Dan was denied a seventh All England Open title when his young compatriot Shi Yuqi clinched a stunning 21-19, 16-21, 21-9 victory in their final on Sunday.
The surprising lack of Lin’s famed attacking skills boosted Shi’s confidence as the match wore on.
The 22-year-old was able to utilize his speed and hard-toread overhead attacks without inhibition against one of the sport’s all-time greats.
“I was more patient and controlled my pace, which helped me get the match back,” said Shi, who admitted he was relieved to erase the memory of last year’s final loss at Arena Birmingham Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei.
Lin would have been the oldest player in 63 years to win the All England men’s singles title had he prevailed.
But just when he had tied the match with a burst of delicate drops and sliced smashes, he suddenly lost his rhythm.
“I am 35, so to play at this level is good,” said Lin, who is actually only 34.
Lin became the first player ever to play in 10 All England men’s singles finals and made it the first all-Chinese men’s Open final in a decade.
“I feel good about myself and I want to congratulate my younger opponent,” he added.
Both Chen Long, the Olympic to champion who lost to Shi in the quarterfinals, and Lin have been nurturing the development of their compatriot.
Earlier, Tai Tzu-ying, the world No 1 from Chinese Taipei, became the first women’s singles player in more than a decade to successfully defend the title.
But she was not happy with her performance after a 22-20, 21-13 win over Akane Yamaguchi, the world No 2 from Japan, in which Tai had to save a game point in the opener.
“I made a lot of mistakes, and in the end I just had to run with her,” she said.
“I would like to come back again next year and play better.”
Tai ended Yamaguchi’s hopes of becoming the first Japanese to win the All England women’s singles title since Hiroe Yuki more than 40 years ago.
But two other Japanese players did make All England history when Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino became the first pair from their country to capture the mixed doubles title.
It was an even bigger upset because they were unseeded, while the fifth-seeded Chinese pair, Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, whom they beat 15-21, 22-20, 21-16, were favorites going into the final.