Chinese rivals Lin and Chen to meet in semis
By Rod Gilmour BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Olympic champion Lin Dan and world champion Chen Long will clash for the first time in nearly two years at Superseries events on Saturday after the Chinese reached the All-England Championship semi-finals. Fifth-seeded Lin took nearly an hour to beat Kento Momota of Japan 21-18 21-19 on Friday while top seed Chen’s one-sided 21-11 21-11 win over Chou Tien Chen of Taiwan took 47 minutes. Lin’s victory means he is one match away from a ninth final appearance at the All-England event since 2004 as he bids for a sixth title, a record matched by only three other players. “I adjusted my mentality really well and it was a calm and controlled performance,” said the 31-year-old. After admitting being “rusty” during the early rounds, Lin had to be at his obdurate best against a quick-footed opponent. At times Lin looked to be conserving energy, but he also had to stem a gritty comeback from Momota in the second game as the Japanese racked up four points in a row from 18-12 down. “He played really quick so I had to try and prevent him from attacking,” said Lin. “I lost concentration a little but I stayed calm.” Chen, 26, has never beaten Lin in their six meetings on the world tour since 2009 but the way he dismantled Chou, mixing a powerful array of forehand smashes with deft drops, suggests that record could be altered. World number one Chen said the opportunity to meet Lin was becoming “smaller and smaller” as his decorated opponent reaches the tail end of his career. In the women’s draw, Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand, who became the youngest world champion in 2013, had to retire after leaving her quarter-final in a wheelchair after suffering cramp. Sun Yu of China had fought back from 11-5 down to lead 19-13 before Intanon fell awkwardly going for a backhand return. Sun next plays India’s third-seeded Saina Nehwal, who beat China's Wang Yihan for the first time. The 20-year-old Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan, who won the BWF Superseries Finals in December, ousted South Korea's second seed Sung Ji Hyun and now faces world champion Carolina Marin of Spain in the semi-finals. (Editing by Ken Ferris)
