# Defending champion Lin Dan to meet Chong Wei in the semi-finals
# Chen Long to face Tian Houwei
By Rizal Abdullah
It is happening in Wuhan at the Badminton Asia Championships – the much awaited “Big Clash” between two of badminton’s superstars – China’s Lin Dan and Malaysia’s Lee Chong Wei.
Defending champion and second seed Lin Dan made the last four with an effortless 21-15, 21-11 win over Korean youngster Lee Dong Kuen who was often left shaking his head with his opponent’s mastery of the game.
Chong Wei, the third seed and current world No 2, however, was given a tough time by his Taiwanese opponent Chou Tien-chen but managed to take his head-to-head count to 3-0 with a 21-16, 21-18 win. The Malaysian beat Tien-chen in the Thaihot China Open and the French Open last year.
Lin Dan, who won the China Masters last week by defeating compatriot Chen Long in the final in Jiangsu, has won 25 times in the 35 times he met Chong Wei and is favoured in Wuhan.
However, Chong Wei, has shown that he is “far from over” and he showed this when he outplayed Chen Long in the Malaysia Open final on April 10 with a straight sets win.
Chen Long, world No 1 and top seed outplayed Indonesia’s seventh seed Tommy Sugiarto 21-16, 21-14 in 50 minutes to earn a semi-final clash against last year’s runners-up and compatriot Tian Houwei (5th seed) who packed off Taiwan’s Wang Tzu Wei 21-15, 19-21, 21-16 in 66 minutes.
Any of the three – Chen Long, Lin Dan or Chong Wei are tipped to win the gold medal in the Rio Olympics in August. Lin Dan has won the Olympic gold twice – in the 2008 Olympics in Bejing and the 2012 London Olympics, defeating Chong Wei in the final on both occasions.
In the women’s singles top seed Li Xuerui won 21-17, 21-19 against Taiwan’s Tai Tzu Ying 21-17, 21-19. In the semifinals Xuerui will take on seventh seeded Korean Sung Ji-hyun who took 84 minutes beat Japan’s Sayala Sato 21-15, 16-21, 21-13.
In the other semi-final India’s Saina Nehwal (5th seed) raised her game to beat China’s third seed Wang Shixian 21-16, 21-19 with the head-to-head record standing at seven all. The Indian had lost to Shixian in the last two meetings.
Nehwal will face sixth seed Wang Yihan who battled for 81 minutes before overcoming All-England champion Nozomi Okuhara 8-21, 21-13, 21-18.
Defending men’s doubles champions Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong staved off a strong challenge from China’s Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan to prevail 21-11, 18-21, 21-18 in 73 minutes.
In the semifinals the Korean top seeds will take on Japan’es Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda who got the better of Indonesia’s Gideon Markus Fernaldi-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 21-18, 17-21, 21-16.
In the other semi-finals China’s Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen beat Taiwan’s Chen Hung-ling-Wang Chi-lin 21-17, 16-21, 21-12 while fourth seeds Fu Haifeng-Zhang Nan won 21-17, 21-18 against sixth seeded Koreans Ko-Sung-hyun-Shin Baek-cheol.
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QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
Men’s singles
Chen Long (Chn) Tommy Sugiarto (Ina) 21-16, 21-14
Lin Dan (Chn) beat Lee Dong Keun (Kor) 21-15, 21-11
Lee Chong Wei (Mas) beat Chou Tien-chou (Tpe) 21-16, 21-18
Tian Houwei (Chn) beat Wang Tzu-wei (Tpe) 21-15, 19-21, 21-16
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Men’s doubles
Liu Junhui-Liu Yuchen (Chn) beat Chen Hung-ling-Wang Ch-lin (Tpe) 21-17, 16-21, 21-12
Takeshi Kamura-Keigo Sonoda (Jpn) beat Gideon Marcus Fernaldi-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo (Ina) 21-18. 17-21, 21-16
Lee Yong-dae-Yoo Yeon-seong (Kor) beat Liu Xiaolong-Qiu Zihan (Chn) 21-11, 18-21, 21-18
Fu Haifeng-Zhang Nan (Chn) beat Ko Sung-hyun-Shin Baek-cheol (Kor) 21-17, 21-18
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Women’s singles
Saina Nehwal (Ind) beat Wang Shixian (Chn) 21-16, 21-19
Wang Yihan (Chn) beat Nozomi Okuhara (Jpn) 8-21, 21-13, 21-19
Li Xuerui (Chn) beat Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe) 21-17, 21-19
Sung Ji-hyun (Kor) beat Sayaka Sato (Jpn) 21-15. 16-21, 21-13
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Women’s doubles
Misaki Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) beat Puttita Supajirakul-Sapsiree Taerattanacai (Tha) 21-12, 21-15
Chang Ye-na-Lee So-hee (Kor) beat Tian Qing-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) 21-18, 21-10
Nitya Krishinda Maheswari-Greysia Polii (Ina) beat Jung Kyung-eun-Shin Seung-chan 21-13, 11-21, 21-18
Naoko Fukuman-Kurumi Yonao (Jpn) beat Luo Ying-Luo Yu (Chn) 22-20, 18-21, 21-14
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Mixed doubles
Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) beat Kim Gi-jung-Shin Seung-chan (Kor) 21-14, 21-10
Tontowi Ahmad-Liliyana Natsir (Ina) beat Choi Solgyu-Eom Hye-won (Kor)Â 21-16, 21-15
Ko Sung-hyun-Kim Ha-na (Kor) beat Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) 21-18, 21-16
Shin Baek-cheol-Chae Yoo-jung (Kor) beat Bodin Issara-Savitree Amitrapai (Tha) 21-14, 21-18
