The Danish shuttler overpowered Lin 21-12, 21-15, just the third time in his career he’s beaten the two-time Olympic champion considered by many one of the true greats of the sport. It was an emotional victory for Jorgensen, who was forced to withdraw from the world championships on home soil in Copenhagen last year despite being a real medal contender. The second-seed wiped tears from his eyes as he recalled the training and sacrifice he’d poured into preparing for this year’s world championships.
Jakarta: Jan O. Jorgensen shattered Lin Dan’s dreams of a sixth world crown on Friday, defeating the Chinese badminton legend and booking a semi-final showdown against Malaysian superstar Lee Chong Wei in Jakarta.
The Danish shuttler overpowered Lin 21-12, 21-15, just the third time in his career he’s beaten the two-time Olympic champion considered by many one of the true greats of the sport.
It was an emotional victory for Jorgensen, who was forced to withdraw from the world championships on home soil in Copenhagen last year despite being a real medal contender.
The second-seed wiped tears from his eyes as he recalled the training and sacrifice he’d poured into preparing for this year’s world championships.
“Now here I am, playing some of the best badminton I’ve done ever,” the 27-year-old told reporters.
Jorgensen had one of the toughest draws in the men’s singles, and many did not expect him to emerge triumphant from his tete-a-tete with Lin.
But the fifth-seeded Chinese star never found his rhythm against Jorgensen, blaming everything from his physical condition to crowd noise for his poor showing.
Badminton fans had been pining for a semi-final bout between Lin and Lee, arch-rivals who for years have provided some of the most explosive contests on the court.
Lin, who has deprived Lee of gold medals not just at the world championships but the Olympics, expressed regret the old foes wouldn’t clash again in Jakarta.
“I’m quite disappointed I can’t meet Lee Chong Wei,” he said via a translator.
“But I have to accept the result, because I didn’t so very well today.”
Lee has returned from an eight-month doping ban guns blazing, convincing many his gold-medal drought at the world championships could come to an end in Jakarta.
He brushed aside 13th seed Hu Yun of Hong Kong 21-12, 21-18 on Friday, his third high-profile scalp in as many days.
Jorgensen acknowledged the formidable task awaiting him Saturday, saying Lee was “more hungry than ever to show he is the best”.
“In my book he needs to have a gold, I just hope it’s not this time,” he said.
Chen Long fought off a stubborn Viktor Axelsen to win 21-18, 30-29, with the plucky Dane pushing the top seed to the limit in an epic quarter-final that lasted more than hour.
It’s not the first time the 21-year-old Dane has punched above his weight against the Chinese champion, and Chen was prepared for the worst when Axelsen went on the offensive in the second game.
Attribution: ndtv.com, Youtube.com (video)
Image courtesy of ndtv.com