Courtesy AFP
Sky Badminton
TOKYO — Beijing Olympic gold medallist Lin Dan powered his way through to the men's singles final by beating Peter Gade in the Japan Open on Saturday in Tokyo.
The three-time world champion, seeded fifth against Gade's second, overcame a four-point deficit at the last moment to score a 21-11, 21-19 victory.
The dashing 26-year-old Chinese did not have it all his own way, going down 3-7 in the second game as the Dane hit a couple of good smashes and a quick attack at the net.
Gade, two-time champion here in 1998 and 1999, kept the lead to 16-12 before Lin started to notch up points to catch up at 18-18, when the Dane hit wide against Lin's low serve.
Gade made it 19-19 with an overhead drop shot, but his backhand landed in the net to go down again, allowing Lin to finish off the 45-minute match with a jump smash.
"I was in fine form. I think Peter was also in good form. It was a match that either of us could win. I'm very happy to win such a close match. I was able to play with speed," said Lin, winner here in 2005 and 2006.
"Of course, I'm going to play my very best tomorrow," added the Chinese, who will play either world number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia or Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand.
Gade agreed both players were on top-form.
"I feel I should have won the second game. I was playing very well in the second and he was playing very well today, very fast, but I fought my way into the game," said Gade, 33.
"In the end, I wasn't able to keep the speed as hard as I wanted to. He is very difficult to beat when he is playing like today. Because I beat him in the Swiss Open, I know he is going to play very fast.
"I just wanted not to be stressed by the pace and just be calm and play my game. But he was playing very sharp and fast and he was good at the net."
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