Chong Wei in semis, Lin Dan withdraws

Posted by Lucas Liau Top News 9:30 AM

Easier path to title
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei’s path to his eighth Open title this year was made easier following the surprise withdrawal of two Chinese stars – Chen Jin and Lin Dan – in the quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Open yesterday.
Chong Wei checked into the semi-finals without having to raise his racquet after reigning world champion Chen Jin conceded a walkover.
Top seed Chong Wei will take on Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh for a place in the final today.
Tien Minh was also let the hook easily when Lin Dan withdrew.

This is the second time that Lin Dan has pulled out in the midst of a competition, having also conceded the match against Chen Long in the quarter-finals of the China Open last week.
It is learnt that injuries were the reasons behind the withdrawals of both Chen Jin and Lin Dan yesterday.
However, there were also speculations that China wanted Chen Jin and Lin Dan to take a backseat to allow their younger compatriot Chen Long to step out of their shadows in the last leg of the Super Series.
Yesterday, the reigning China Open champion Chen Long set up a meeting with Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia after beating South Korean Lee Hyun-il 17-21, 21-16, 21-19.
National coach Teh Seu Bock was puzzled with the no-show of both Chen Jin and Lin Dan.
“This is a peculiar situation. They looked all right to us before this ... then suddenly we hear that both are injured,” said Seu Bock in a telephone interview.
“In their absence, the path to glory is certainly brighter for Chong Wei, who is in good condition. He will stay focused on the task at hand.”
Chong Wei is the only Malaysian survivor in the tournament after the quarter-final defeat of Chin Eei Hui-Goh Liu Ying in the women’s doubles. Both went down 13-21, 21-14, 17-21 to Russians Valeria Sorokina-Nina Vislova.
In the men’s doubles semi-finals, China Open champions Lee Yong-dae-Jung Jae-sung will take on Asian Games champions Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia while Howard Bach-Tony Gunawan of the United States will face Ko Sung-hyun-Yoo Yeon-seong of South Korea.
Quarter-final results
Men’s singles: Nguyen Tien Minh (Vie) w.o. Lin Dan (Chn); Taufik Hidayat (Ina) bt Park Sung-hwan (Kor) 23-21, 21-17; Lee Chong Wei (Mas) w.o. Chen Jin (Chn); Chen Long (Chn) bt Lee Hyun-il (Kor) 17-21, 21-16, 21-19. Men’s doubles: Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan (Ina) w.o. Alven Yulianto-Hendra Gunawan (Ina); Howard Bach-Tony Gunawan (US) bt Chai Biao-Guo Zhengdong (Chn) 21-15, 21-14; Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae (Kor) bt Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) 21-19, 21-16; Ko Sunghyun- Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor) bt Mohd Ahsan-Bona Septano (Ina) 21-19, 21-19.
Women’s singles: Wang Shixian (Chn) bt Ratchanok Inthanon (Tha) 21-11, 21-15; Juliane Schenk (Ger) bt Jiang Yangjiao (Chn) 21-14, 16-21, 21-12; Saina Nehwal (Ind) bt Yip Pui Yin (Hkg) 21-11, 21-10; Wang Xin (Chn) bt Pi Hongyan (Fra) 21-13, 21-15.
Women’s doubles: Cheng Wen-hsing-Chien Yuchin (Tpe) bt A. Duanganong-V. Kunchala (Tha) 21-13, 21-14; Pan Pan-Tian Qing (Chn) bt Christinna Pedersen-Kamilla Rytter Juhl (Den) 21-19, 21-18; Valeria Sorokina-Nina Vislova (Rus) bt Chin Eei Hui-Goh Liu Ying (Mas) 21-13, 14-21, 21-17; Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Lok Yan Poon-Ying Suet Tse (Hkg) 21-16, 21-12.
Mixed doubles: Xu Chen-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Yoo Yeong-seong-Kim Min-jung (Kor) 2112, 19-21, 21-14; Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Ko Sung-hyun-Ha Jung-eun (Kor) 20-22, 22-20, 21-11; Joachim Fisher Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) bt Robert Mateusiak-Nadiezda Zieba (Pol) 21-18, 21-15; Lee Sheng-mu-Chien Yu-chin (Tpe) bt Fran Kurniawan Teng-Pia Zebadiah Bernadeth (Ina) 12-21, 21-15, 21-16.