Ageing Super Dan runs out of gas, loses to compatriot Yuqi in final
BIRMINGHAM: Lin Dan’s hopes of winning a seventh title were dashed as Chinese compatriot Shi Yuqi won the men’s title in the $1 million All England Open badminton championships here on Sunday.
Shi, who was runner-up in 2017, defeated the ageing Lin 21-19, 16-21, 21-9. Shi won the close opening game but Lin, the sixth seed and twice Olympic champion, rallied to win the second comfortably to force a decider.
Lin Dan, at 34 the grand old man of world badminton but his past heroics meant he still was the crowd favourite taking on his seventh seeded compatriot. And when he fought back to level games, hopes rose that the man dubbed ‘Super Dan’ may pull it off.
However, Lin didn’t have much left in the tank in the final game as Shi Yuqi, who ran up a 11-2 lead wrapped up the game 21-9 for the match.
It was a chance blown away by the Chinese legend to move within one title of Rudy Hartono’s record eight All-england titles, although the Indonesian’s successes had occurred before the Open era.
The 34-year-old had late last year hinted at retirement saying that he is growing too old and it will be tough for him to compete
at the World Championships which will be held later this year.
However, he is likely to compete since the prestigious event will be held in Nanjing in his home country of China.
Anirban Lahiri endured a roller-coaster back nine to card a two-over 74 and slipped down to T-74 after the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational here.
Lahiri had two doubles, on the 8th and the 18th and it made for a rather rough day, as he also endured two other bogeys on 10th and 11th. He did have four birdies, first on fifth and then in a space of four holes from 12th to the 15th at Bay Hill.
Meanwhile, Swede Henrik Stenson did just enough to stay one shot ahead. Stenson missed a short birdie putt and a 12-foot eagle attempt on the back nine Saturday. He even had his tee shot knocked down by a gust of wind that led to bogey and closed out a one-under 71 to go into the final round with another chance to win at Bay Hill.
Among the rivals in focus will be Tiger Woods (69), who is five shots behind in Tied-10th.
Bryson Dechambeau also missed his share of chances in a round of 72 and was second one shot behind Stenson.
RATHI FINISHES 4TH
NOMI,JAPAN: India’s Neeraj Rathi and Karamjit Kaur finished fourth and eighth in the men’s and women’s events respectively at the Asian 20km Race Walking Championship on Sunday.
Rathi clocked 1 hour 25 minutes and 33 seconds, while Kaur had a timing of 1:58:22.
In the open category for women, Ravina of Haryana won the gold in an impressive timing of 1:35:35 which is better than that of India’s official entry Karamjit Kaur. Ravina even finished overall second behind Duan Dandan (1:35:12) but her performance will not be counted for medal purposes as she is not the official entry from India. She had finished fifth in the National Championships with a timing of 1:35:45.
PURVA WINS TOURNEY
MUMBAI: Defending champion Purva Barve won the Women’s Singles (Under-19) title at the Israel Junior 2018 held in Rishon Lezion, Israel. Seeded No. 4 in the event, Barve won the long drawn battle against third seeded and top-ranked Russian Anastasiia Pustinskaia 21-19, 19-21, 21-13.