Defending world and Olympic champion Lin Dan was through to the men's singles final of the 12th Chinese National Games badminton event here on Tuesday.

Lin, representing the People's Liberation Army, was too good for his 20-year-old semifinal opponent Huang Yuxiang of Zhejiang, winning 21-11 and 21-9 in just 35 minutes.

Chinese superstar Lin ,widely regarded as badminton's best-ever player, will take on world No. 3 Du Pengyu of Beijing in the final after Du also claimed an easy 21-12 and 21-12 victory over Chen Yuekun of Hubei.

Lin, who won golds in the 2005 and 2009 editions of the Games, hopes to take his third consecutive crown.

"I'm proud of myself, it's my fourth final at the Games. Although my opponent in the final has changed, but I still reach the final. I hope I can perform well tomorrow to set up another new record," said Lin.

In August, Lin made successful return to action after one year off since the London Olympics, becoming the first man to win five world championships singles titles in Guangzhou, China.

The National Games, billed as China's mini-Olympics, has long been a fierce battlefield for the participants.In the badminton event, almost all of Chinese top players represent their respective home province or municipality in the country's premier sporting event. Endi

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