hezudao
01-23-2006, 08:09 PM
BIRMINGHAM (ENGLAND) - LIN Dan made it a romantic double when he regained the men's singles title on Sunday, the same day that his girlfriend, Xie Xingfang, retained the women's singles crown at the All-England Championships.
The world No 1 from China gave another impressive display, overcoming South Korea's Lee Hyun Il 15-7, 15-7 despite a growing list of injuries.
He finished the match with strapping to his left ankle and knee and both thighs.
Lin's win was all the more creditable, coming after his gruelling 97-minute semi-final against Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei on Saturday.
It also followed a 11-6, 4-11, 11-2 win earlier in the day by Xie over compatriot Zhang Ning. She exhibited an exhilarating range of strokes against Zhang, the world No 1.
But the clash between two players who face each other so often inevitably lacked the edge of the men's singles final.
'But it is still special to win it even if it is for the second time,' Xie said. 'I still think Zhang Ning is the best player on the planet. She is much more consistent than I am and that is something I have to learn.'
Her victory made up for last year's disappointment when Xie won the All-England title - only for Lin to lose his final.
Said Lin: 'We made a promise last year that if we both won, we would go up the big wheel (in Birmingham's main street). I lost but we decided to go anyway, though I felt it was a pity.
'This time, we can do the same thing again and be in the right mood.'
He attended a post-final media conference with a large ice-pack on his knee after taking a heavy fall at 10-5 in the second game while executing a typically athletic smash.
The Chinese acknowledged: 'At 14-7 on the match points, it hurt quite a bit. I was getting a little worried that I couldn't clinch the match straight away.'
Sunday's victory was a fitting tribute to his resilience as well as talent. He was the master of disguise with sudden, brilliantly angled smashes and slices.
His victory ensured that China equalled their open-era record of clinching four of the five titles.
Gao Ling and Huang Sui won the women's doubles title for an astonishing sixth year in succession, beating compatriots Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen 6-15, 15-11, 15-2.
Gao and her Olympic champion mixed-doubles partner Zhang Jun saved five match points to dethrone England's Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms 12-15, 17-14, 15-1.
China will obviously be the country to beat in a crowded 2006 calendar. Highlights of the year include the Thomas and Uber Cup team competitions in Japan from late April and the World Championships in Spain in September.
Meanwhile, the English mixed-doubles pair of Robertson and Emms were left to agonise over their failure to cash in on those five match points before an adoring home crowd.
Said Robertson: 'During the tournament, we played almost perfect badminton - apart from the five points.'
Medals at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March and revenge over the Chinese at the World Championships would ease the pain. -- AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
The world No 1 from China gave another impressive display, overcoming South Korea's Lee Hyun Il 15-7, 15-7 despite a growing list of injuries.
He finished the match with strapping to his left ankle and knee and both thighs.
Lin's win was all the more creditable, coming after his gruelling 97-minute semi-final against Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei on Saturday.
It also followed a 11-6, 4-11, 11-2 win earlier in the day by Xie over compatriot Zhang Ning. She exhibited an exhilarating range of strokes against Zhang, the world No 1.
But the clash between two players who face each other so often inevitably lacked the edge of the men's singles final.
'But it is still special to win it even if it is for the second time,' Xie said. 'I still think Zhang Ning is the best player on the planet. She is much more consistent than I am and that is something I have to learn.'
Her victory made up for last year's disappointment when Xie won the All-England title - only for Lin to lose his final.
Said Lin: 'We made a promise last year that if we both won, we would go up the big wheel (in Birmingham's main street). I lost but we decided to go anyway, though I felt it was a pity.
'This time, we can do the same thing again and be in the right mood.'
He attended a post-final media conference with a large ice-pack on his knee after taking a heavy fall at 10-5 in the second game while executing a typically athletic smash.
The Chinese acknowledged: 'At 14-7 on the match points, it hurt quite a bit. I was getting a little worried that I couldn't clinch the match straight away.'
Sunday's victory was a fitting tribute to his resilience as well as talent. He was the master of disguise with sudden, brilliantly angled smashes and slices.
His victory ensured that China equalled their open-era record of clinching four of the five titles.
Gao Ling and Huang Sui won the women's doubles title for an astonishing sixth year in succession, beating compatriots Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen 6-15, 15-11, 15-2.
Gao and her Olympic champion mixed-doubles partner Zhang Jun saved five match points to dethrone England's Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms 12-15, 17-14, 15-1.
China will obviously be the country to beat in a crowded 2006 calendar. Highlights of the year include the Thomas and Uber Cup team competitions in Japan from late April and the World Championships in Spain in September.
Meanwhile, the English mixed-doubles pair of Robertson and Emms were left to agonise over their failure to cash in on those five match points before an adoring home crowd.
Said Robertson: 'During the tournament, we played almost perfect badminton - apart from the five points.'
Medals at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March and revenge over the Chinese at the World Championships would ease the pain. -- AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE