China’s Lin Dan celebrates with the trophy after winning the Men’s Singles final against China’s Tian Houwei at the All England Badminton Championships in Birmingham
Lin Dan earned his sixth All England badminton title when he routed Chinese teammate Tian Houwei 21-9, 21-10 in the final yesterday.
The match lacked any tension, as Lin bolted to 4-0, enjoyed the same margin at the changeover, and pulled away.
There were no yells of joy or frustration, just a couple of fist pumps, and Lin could afford to play to the crowd and still win the next point. The near full house encouraged Tian, who was trying to beat Lin for the first time at his seventh attempt, but an air of inevitability crept over the 45-minute proceedings.
“I was surprised it was that easy,” Lin said.
That was fine with him. He said he was tired before the final, having won the German Open last week, then averaged an hour per match to reach his ninth All England final. A winter of hard training has built up a reserve of energy that the only two-time Olympic men’s champion hopes to translate into a third gold in Rio de Janeiro.
Even though China head coach Li Yongbo said in December he considered Lin and top-ranked Chen Long to be the team’s “double insurance” for the Rio men’s gold, Lin wasn’t taking anything for granted he will be in the team. The Olympic qualifying period ends on May 1, and with teams restricted to two singles players, Lin was China’s No. 2, just ahead of Tian.
“You will never be selected [by the China coaches] just because you’re the Olympic champion last time,” Lin said. “I am not thinking that far ahead yet. All the Chinese coaches are sitting in the corner and I just want to show them that even though I’m 32, I can still do it.”
The sixth championship by badminton’s greatest player came 12 years after his first, and four years after his last, when he went into semi-retirement for two years.
“When I decided to come back, I wanted to prove to the rest of the world I’m still the best,” Lin said.
Only three other men in the 116-year history have as many or more singles titles at the All England, which was considered the world championship until the late ‘70s.
In the women’s final later, Wang Shixian of China was going for her third title, and out to spoil Japanese opponent Nozomi Okuhara’s 21st birthday. Foster Niumata, Birmingham, AP
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