Chen Long sets up all-China final, ousting Lee
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Xinhua, December 18, 2011
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Chen Long of China celebrates after defeating Lee Chongwei of Malaysia on Saturday to set up an all-Chinese men's singles final against teammate Lin Dan at the BWF World Superseries Finals. |
Chen Long overcame world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia on Saturday to set up an all-Chinese men's singles final against teammate Lin Dan at the BWF World Superseries Finals, as the hosts have already secured two titles after Saturday's semifinals.
The mixed doubles final will also be contested between two Chinese players, after Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei defeated Shintaro Ikeda/Reiko Shiota of Japan 21-17, 21-11 and Xu Chen/Ma Jin swept past Joachim Fischer Nielsen / Christina Pedersen of Denmark 21-19, 21-14 in the semifinals.
"Super Dan" proved too good for Danish veteran Peter Gade, winning 21-12, 21-15 in just 41 minutes, while Chen demolished Lee's hopes of claiming his fourth consecutive Finals title with a 21-16, 16-21, 21-18 victory.
It was the third time that Chen beat Lee this season following triumph at the Japan Open and Denmark Open.
"Lee is the No. 1, so playing with him I felt less pressure than him," said the 22-year-old Chen.
In the women's singles, China's newly-crowned world champion Wang Yihan outclassed compatriot Wang Xin 21-19, 21-16 to reach the final.
In Friday's final group B match, Saina Nehwal of India upset Wang Xin in straight sets to finish ahead of the Chinese, while Wang Yihan topped group A by virtue of winning more sets than Danish Tine Baun. Therefore two Wangs had to face each other in the semifinals.
Wang Yihan said she didn't want to meet Wang Xin in the semifinals. "If Wang Xin had won yesterday, the clash between us could have been avoided, which means we both have an opportunity to enter the final," she said.
Wang Yihan will take on Nehwal in the final. The Indian top player, who has been struggling with poor form this year, snapped her three-match losing streak against Baun with a 21-17, 21-18 win.
World No. 7 Chai Biao and Guo Zhendong kept China's title hope alive in men's doubles after the country's top pair Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng were knocked out in the group stage, as they stood with the pressure to squeeze past South Korea's Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae 21-17, 21-18.
BWF female World Player of the year Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli eased into the women's doubles final after teammates Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei retired.
Yu and Wang face South Korean pair Ha Jung Eun and Kim Min Jung, who beat Christinna Pedersen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl of Denmark 23-21, 21-18.
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