Just unforgettable
June Wei loses to Lin Dan but thankful for the experience
PETALING JAYA: So close yet so far.
National men’s singles shuttler Cheam June Wei came close to notching a huge victory over his idol Lin Dan of China, but it was not to be as he fell 21-14, 16-21, 8-21 in the quarter-finals of the Thailand Masters in Bangkok yesterday.
The 21-year-old looked to have Lin Dan in his pocket after putting on an impressive display to come out tops in the first game but the 35-year-old Lin Dan took it up a gear in the next two games to reach the semi-finals.
It was a near miss for June Wei, who could have become only the third Malaysian to have recorded wins against Super Dan.
The two Malaysians who have done so are Lee Chong Wei, who have done so on 12 different occasions and Ong Ewe Hock twice, back in 2001 and 2002.
But the youngster has taken the defeat to his idol as a learning experience that he won’t forget.
“I played quite well in the first game as I just kept pressuring him by playing fast and I think he was not used to the court yet,” said June Wei.
“I was leading in the second and then I lost steam and from there, I couldn’t come back into the game.”
“He started to play really fast in the decider and I simply couldn’t follow his speed and there was a huge gap.”
“I’m disappointed at the loss but it was good to play against him as I learned a lot on how he controls the court and soaks up pressure.”
It was a positive start to the year for the Malaysian after giving Lin Dan a good fight but he knows, he needs to step up more.
“Finishing in the quarter-final is not what I wanted and I hope to do better next time.”
His national teammate Lee Zii Jia also failed to advance into the semi-finals as he fell to seventh seed Brice Leverdez of France 11-21, 19-21. With that, Malaysia’s challenge have ended in the men’s singles event.
I’m disappointed at the loss but it was good to play against him as I learned a lot on how he controls the court and soaks up pressure. Cheam June Wei