LI NING CHINA MASTERS 2009 - China seal three titles, Lin Dan-Chong Wei rematch

Posted by Lucas Liau Lee Chong Wei, Lin Dan, News 8:46 AM

With three titles signed, sealed and delivered, the question now is who can stop China from adding the Li Ning China Masters 2009 men’s singles and men’s doubles titles to that tally?

That enormous task will fall on the shoulders of Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei and Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah, Thailand’s Boonsak Ponsana and Korea’s Cho Gun Woo-Yoo Yeon Seong.

Thanks to an all-China semi-final in the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles, Lin Dan and Chen Jin will be eager to make it an all-China final in the men’s singles while Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng and Guo Zhendong-Cheng Xu will aim to do the same in the men’s doubles.

All of which point to an exciting Saturday for the home fans, especially in the men’s events.

First up will be Ponsana, who will take on Chen Jin in the men’s singles semi-final. Having shocked Denmark’s Peter Gade in the quarter-finals, the hugely talented Ponsana will be looking to continue his fine run in the competition by adding Chen Jin’s scalp as well.

On Friday, Ponsana took 69 minutes to subdue the challenge from Gade in his 21-16, 19-21, 21-18 win while Chen Jin had a relatively shorter time against compatriot Chen Long, scoring a 21-16, 8-21, 21-16 win over the former world junior champion.

The Ponsana-Gade match was only overshadowed by another titanic battle between three-time world champion Lin Dan against Korea’s Park Sung Hwan.

Lin Dan took one minute longer than Ponsana to edge out Park with a thrilling 21-15, 13-21, 23-21 win to set up an exciting clash against arch rival Lee Chong Wei. The latter beat China’s Du Pengyu 21-19, 21-15 and will now have the unenviable task of stopping Lin Dan from making the final.

In the men’s doubles, favourites Cai-Fu will play Korea’s Cho-Yoo while Malaysia’s former World No 1, Choong-Lee square off against Guo-Cheng.

No high drama in the other events with Lu Lan the only odd one out in the women’s singles line up – all the other three players share the same surname – Wang.

The fifth seed will play Wang Shixian while Wang Lin and Wang Xin will decide the other finalist. Lu Lan upset Hong Kong top seed Zhou Mi 21-10, 21-17 in the quarter-finals while Wang Shixian stopped Wang Yihan in straight games as well, winning 21-18, 21-18.

Wang Xin ended Pi Hongyan’s run in the tournament with a clinical 21-11, 21-10 win while Wang Lin wore down Korea’s Kim Moon Hi 21-19, 21-18.

In the women’s doubles, part-timers Gao Ling-Wei Yili proved they were still a force to be reckoned with when they beat Korea’s No 2 seeds Ha Jung Eun-Kim Min Jung 21-12, 21-17 to book their place in the last four.

Gao Ling-Wei Yili, who have retired from international competition, face another test in the form of Olympic champions Du Jing-Yu Yang in the semi-finals. The second semi-final will feature top seeds Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei and Pan Pan-Qing Tian.

In the mixed doubles, the semi-final line up reads Chen Ziben-Zhang Jinkang against Tao Jiaming-Wang Xiaoli and Xie Zhongbo-Zhang Yawen against He Hanbin-Yu Yang.