LCW matched LD all the way in the 1st game and nearly took it. The luck was not with him, it could have happened to anyone (including LD, remember the Malaysian Open in Kuching). The pendulum did swing in LD's favour at the end. But it could have swung in LCW's way, if he had not tightened up when he was leading 19-17. I am sure all Chinese hearts thumped greatly and even cursed LCW for being so good at that point when he was leading. If LD had lost the 1st game, it could have been different. In the 2nd, it was again the same sort of play, tit-for-tat for a while until LCW lost his patience and tried to move the game faster, resulting in 6 straight lost points. He should have stuck to his game even though it could result in another narrow loss at the end. But in retrospect, that is the only style he could play against LD - patience and rallies. To try and engineer a win by pushing the shuttle faster and more aggressively, risk unforced errors. LCW in losing those 6 points in a row, had a few shuttles returned out of court because he was trying to step up a gear. If one takes it well, this is a lesson learned - it will help him to see that he needs to play the slow patient game with LD - play him long, to the backcourt. LD made several mistakes smashing into the net several times-it shows not all smashes are 100% from LD. It shows LD is tempted to smash even at a difficult position, taking risk too. If LCW can see that, he should learn to play that more often. There is no easy way to beat LD. He is good and we cannot deny that but he susceptible to long rallies coz his trademark is always the big smash and he is tempted to use that. One, it will tire him if he does that too often, Two, he makes mistakes on his smashes. LCW lost because he made the mistakes, not LD. Tactically, he is matching LD.
once again, a poor poor analysis. just like your analysis of the 07 HKO http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50389&highlight=analysis&page=2 LCW can match up to LD because LD was using his 3rd and 4th gears. At 17-19 first set, LD change to 5th gear, step on the gas pedal, and dusted LCW away. I say LD was testing lcw's skill progress since the OG, with no fear of lcw at all, once he saw enough, he blows lcw away. Funny u talk about luck in the same breath about lcw's skills. Yes, in one MO lcw beat LD but that was at your home soil and massive bolehing. Yes, LD had fixed that lapse of concentration. However, it seem lcw did not since then, it seem it had degraded. On the contrary, lcw's points came from LD's errors. LCW hardly control LD to earn his points. Yes, LCW would have won if he didn't push the shuttle out, if lcw didn't clear out, if lcw didn't lost focus, if lcw smash harder, if lcw this and that. Problem is those are all if's. People like you who refuse to accept reality and relying living on if's, they are called dreamers. Say LD did misjudge his timing of toying around lcw in the first set and if lcw had won, LD would bury lcw in 2nd and 3rd set anyway. You talk like IF lcw had won the 1st set, it's a given that lcw would have won the title, you're day dreaming. This analysis of your is a literal description of your day dreaming.
i reckon the real problem is that LCW just doesn't have the self belief that he can beat LD, not consistently anyway. that self belief is evident whenever he plays anyone else, just not LD. having said that, i'm not sure there are many, if any, who do have that self belief when playing against LD, he's just too good.
I will restrict myself to just your opening: Below is a snapshot of the position at the first mid-game interval. 8 of Lee Chong Wei's 9 points came from Lin Dan's errors. 4 of Lin Dan's 11 points came from Lee Chong Wei's errors. (To use Gill Clark's favourite expression: ) How on earth does this show that 'LCW matched LD all the way in the first game'? How on earth does this show that 'the luck was not with Lee Chong Wei'? Indeed, the opening position is exactly the opposite of what you claim! If anything, Chong Wei was extremely lucky. He was gifted 8 points out of the 9 he had! If not, he would have been staring at 11-1 at the break. X_Ball, you really should consider retracting your opening lines
agreed with your analysis. lcw did look out of place against ld. he played differently against other players
X-Ball, your analysis stinks of bias. As shown by others in this thread, LCW's points in the 1st set predominantly came from casual LD unforced errors. I'd also agree that LD was simply "testing the waters" for much of the 1st set. When the scoreline got tight, he decided to stop messing around and actualy focus for a few points, leading to his victory.
Tell me any writer who don't.Find a book which the writer doesn't use his own judgement.That's how things go. If he's able to provide supportive points, should be ok. Stick to your own standpoint, nothing's wrong.
Agree,.....do you believe that 'god' of badminton...LD.......make so much 'unforce' errors..........?.......Those are errors.....forced error..........
There is a lot of emotional overlay going on in these analyses. Please don't flame me if I express my own fallible opinion. I don't think Lin Dan was merely toying with LCW. The talent gap isn't so large that LD takes winning for granted. But his confidence is such that he always sees winning as likely. Lee Chong Wei looked like he ran out of ideas when patience didn't work, and then forcing the play didn't work. His confidence became such that losing seemed likely. I disagree that LCW should just be more patient and force LD to the back and wait for mistakes. That works for lesser players, and it often works on LD for the first half of a first set. But it is not a full-match plan against a guy of that talent. Lin Dan is simply [covering my 5yo's ears] better than Lee Chong Wei. And the mental difference is larger than the physical. When he starts taking charge, LD exudes an aura of implacable determination that makes the opponent despair. LCW has demonstrated that at times too....but I suspect that this bad-a** attitude is an unnatural affectation to his baseline personality and therefore hard for him to maintain. You have to bully a bully to get to him mentally. Think Buster Douglas vs Mike Tyson. Or think of World Championship 2007....my buddy, Sony dwi, was pathetic with the waiting/clearing game. It was only when he had the audacity to push Lin Dan around with feints and drives that he got an edge. Still wasn't enough, but you can't deny it was the right idea.
LD wanted to finish off the game as early as possible i don't think he was toying with LCW. LD was doing great through out the game, LCW couldn't match up with LD speed and consistancy on second game and lost the match.
We aren't engaged in a fiction writing contest. This is about facts - and, as such, about factual analyses. Bias has no place here.
I think a more precise statement is the following: LCW matched LD from 2:8 in the 1st game till 6:6 in the 2nd. Before 2:8 LCW was very nervous and LD took advantage of it; After 6:6 LCW was clearly tired and could not control his racket well anymore. Indeed the biggest problem is that LCW does not have the belief that he can beat LD, while on the contrary, LD has immense confidence in himself. This is the reason why LCW became nervous at 19:17 but LD managed to stay calm. To me, even if LCW took the 1st game, LD is still more likely to win the match. LCW could not sustain his speed throughout the match, in particular he is usually slower in most of the 2nd game (A few recent examples: 08 French vs Taufik, 08 OG vs LHI, 07 HKO vs LD ). On a good day LCW can speed up again in the 3rd game, while on a bad day he will be slow all the way till the end of the match. On the contrary, LD does not have this problem and can stay fast throughout the whole match. Therefore even if LCW won the 1st, LD could surely take the 2nd game, and held an upper hand in the 3rd one. Btw, I don't think it's fair to call LD's mistakes "gifts to CW" while claiming CW's mistakes are all due to LD's pressure. That sounds like a religion (with LD as the god) instead of a game analysis. LD made those mistakes simply because he tried to play very fast and accurate shots (to remind CW of the OG final, to blow CW's confidence) but at the same time hadn't found his touch yet. We know that in the next 10 pts that CW won, the number due to LD's errors is definitely less than 9. According to the "gift" logic, LD decided to be more serious in the 2nd half of the 1st game. But how come CW actually did better? Finally, LD was definitely more lucky in the AE final. Several of his drives caught the net and went over to LCW's court.
