09
Mar 09, Finals:
High Five for China
Richard Eaton reports on the 2009 finals
China became the first nation ever to win all five titles in the
open era at the All-England championships when
Cai Yun and
Fu Haifeng wrapped up the
the men's doubles 21-17, 21-15 against Korea's Han Sang Hoon and
Hwang Ji Man.
China had won all five in a world championship before, but that
was in Beijing back in 1987, and this, in European conditions,
was a far tougher task. It was also the first clean sweep in the
open or amateur eras since 1948.
The success which really made it possible was that of
Wang Yihan, the young
unseeded player from Shanghai, who beat Tine Rasmussen, the
top-seeded titleholder from Denmark who won the women's singles
at only the second attempt, 21-19, 21-23, 21-11.
Dan's Double
 But
the success which attracted the most attention was the repeat of
the Olympic men's singles final, in which
Lin Dan again beat Lee
Chong Wei, the world number one from Malaysia, in straight
games, though this was a closer match than the one at the Games.
The Chinese star beat the ambitious, hard-working Malaysian
21-19, 21-12, after beginning rather patchily, then grabbing his
first important chance, and accelerating away impressively
towards the end.
Asked how or why he won, Lin said: �It wasn't tactical or
anything � we are both good players. It was more psychological.
I was focussed and calm. I think I played quite well. There were
a couple of times in the first set where I didn't handle the
situation the best I could and let him have an advantage. But I
kept my form and managed to play well.�
Lin was also concerned to promote the right image of himself.
�The fact that I have an outgoing personality might be seen as a
bad thing, that I am a rebel. But I am anxious to show that I am
quite a good person and for people to understand me better.�
 However,
for a while in the first game Lin faltered unexpectedly. From
leads of 8-2, 10-6, and 16-12 he began to make errors, not all
of them forced, allowing Lee to nudge his way up to 19-17.
Lee often lifted or pushed the shuttle to the backhand side of
Lin, but with mixed success, and when it really mattered Lin
sprang back to his best form again. A flat cross court was too
difficult for Lee to contain, and the Malaysian put an overhead
drop into the net to let Lin back in at 18-19, and thereafter
the Chinese left-hander won three points quickly.
When he reached game point at 20-19, the rally was over in a
flash, Lin serving accurately and following it up with a smash
which got through immediately. That increased the pressure on
the Olympic silver medallist, who had been only too aware he had
lost eight of their nine previous meetings, and his expression
and body language increasingly hinted at tension.
And from 14-12 Lin went through to the finish in one magnificent
run of seven points. At the end, while shaking hands acorss the
net, he pushed his face close to Lee's to show his comradeship,
but when he really wanted to win Lin showed another side of
himself � explosive, dynamic, and very professional.
First-time win for Wang
 Wang's
win was victory for a good temperament, a good all-round game,
and fresher, lighter movement. She was unable to convert a match
point at 21-20 in the second game, which created a few alarms as
Rasmussen had saved two against another Chinese player Jian
Yanjiao the previous day.
But Rasmussen, whose preparation had been affected by a heel
injury, only had the energy left to hang on, and against a
player of the 21-year-old Wang's great potential, that was never
likely to be enough.
�I didn't have any pressure,� said Wang, who had looked relaxed
most of the time except the end of the second game. �I just
really tried to play what I know � and it's nice to be able to
do it that way.
�We both played well in the first two games, but in the third I
think I was physically stronger and fitter.�
Asked if she thought about the title before the end of the
match, Wang said no, but that she had imagined it before the
match. �I did it secretly,� she said. �I imagined what I would
do and what expression I would have! But when it came to the
match I just focussed.�
Rasmussen said: "I started playing again - after a heel injury -
only three days before the tournament, so I am very satisfied
with reaching the final. Of course when you get there you always
want more.
"I could feel it wasn't going in the right direction, even when
I was winning, because the matches were going on too long. But
before the tournament I would have guessed I would fallen over
on the court.
"But I have to be pleased with what I did. I could easily have
been out in the semi-finals," she added, referring to her saving
two match points against Jian Yanjiao.
China clean up in the Doubles
 Earlier
He Hanbin and
Yu Yang had won the mixed
doubles, and Zhang Yawen
and Zhao Tingting the
women's doubles.
Afterwards China's head coach,
Li Yongbo, said: "We didn't think about winning all five
titles. We mustn't think about outside factors, or we can't play
the way we have."
Asked if China's controversial decision to skip the Super Series
finals in Malaysia in December had been justified by this
performance, Li answered, laughing: "Do you think we made the
wrong choice?"
And asked if China would compete in the next Super Series event,
Li replied: "It depends on each team and each circumstance. We
have to look at what is best for each player. We didn't think
the decision was controversial."
 |
2009 Finals
as they happened,
with videos |
