Asian Games: Badminton's Lin survives Korean scare
Incheon (South Korea) (AFP) - Badminton superstar Lin Dan survived on a day of shocks for China's team as both of their men's doubles pairs crashed out of the Asian Games on Thursday.
The defending champion and multiple world and Olympic winner was put through a marathon second game by low-ranked South Korean challenger Lee Dong-Keun before reaching round two.
Fans are hoping for a showdown between veteran stars Lin and Malaysian world number one Lee Chong Wei, who is making his last bid for an Asiad gold.
But their path to the later rounds of the men's singles is not going to be easy, as South Korean challengers rise to the occasion on their home turf.
Lin, 30, easily beat Korea's Lee in two games in the men's team competition, which the hosts went on to win.
And it looked like another whitewash in Lin's first match of the singles as he strode through the opening game 21-12.
But spurred on by local fans and stands packed with children, 23-year-old Lee rallied in the second going ahead 12-8.
Lee could not sustain the pressure and it looked to be all over as Lin battled back to match point at 20-19.
It was then that the Korean showed what he could do, forcing Lin to put shots wide and passing him with powerful drives.
- 'Super Dan' brilliance -
Neither player was able to seal the game with Lin raising his eyes and grimacing as he put wide another return to go 26-26.
And it was a flash of classic "Super Dan" brilliance that finally signalled the end for the Korean, as Lin showed lightning reflexes to fire back a mid-court smash and go up 27-26, capitalising with another smash to win the game 28-26.
"He played very well, especially in front of a home crowd," said Lin, adding that he had been prepared for a difficult clash.
"I expected it because every opponent, no matter who they are, or how low they are ranked, when they play against Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei they have no pressure at all.
"They just play to the best of their capacity."
Lee said: "I had the confidence to win the second set, but Lin Dan played very well and I couldn't manage it."
Lee Chong Wei eased through his match against Pakistan's Umer Zeeshan, while China's world champion Chen Long also saw off Malaysia's Chong Wei Feng in two games.
But Chinese men's doubles sixth seeds Liu Xiaolong and Qiu Zihan were less lucky, losing in two games in a shock defeat to unseeded Indian pair Sumeeth Reddy Buss and Manu Attri.
And China departed the men's doubles after Cai Yung and Fu Haifeng were dispatched by Indonesian seventh seeds Pratama Anggar and Saputro Rian Agung, who came back from a game down.
Chinese world number one Li Xuerui eased through her women's singles round-two match against Hong Kong's Yip Pui Yin, winning 21-13 21-15.
