YONEX FRENCH OPEN SF - Lin Dan on Course for First Title in Paris

China, Indonesia and Malaysia will be the three countries fighting on Sunday for titles in Paris. The Chinese colossus, Lin Dan is making his first appearance in final against a superb Taufik Hidayat (pictured), who defeated the people’s favourite Peter Gade. Meanwhile Pi Hongyan failed in her effort to repeat her 2007 finals appearance as she was stopped by Wang Yihan in the semi-final of her home event.

By Tarek HAFI (live in Paris). Photos: Badmintonphoto.com (Live)

An all-Indonesian affair

Mixed doubles were the first matches on court with much anticipated Indonesia-China battles. On one side, the newly paired Hendra Aprida Gunawan and Vita Marissa, now totally independent from the Indonesian national team and on the other side another newly paired Zhang Yawen and Tao Jiaming of China. Zhang Yawen, for the time being, takes a break from partnering Xie Zhongbo who is currently recovering from a severe back injury that required surgery. On the adjoining court, a re-match from the Beijing Olympic Games as He Hanbin and Yu Yang played against Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir.

Both pairs gave an exhibition of fantastic play during the first game of their first match since last years Olympics Game’s semi final where the Indonesian eventually came off the best with a three games battle and a 23-21 score line in the rubber. Widianto and Natsir from the start injected pace to the game, smashing constantly on Yu Yang and avoiding involving He Hanbin in the rallies.

No one can deny the Indonesians’ vast experience in matches like this, having reached the final stage on many big occasions in the past. They proved it again in the Pierre Coubertin’s hall, as they were in no way distracted by their first set loss but instead looked much more confident and focused. The Chinese appeared to have spent too much energy to get back in the first game as they handed the second game to the Olympic Silver medalist Nova and Liliyana 21-14. The Indonesian’s still obviously irritated after the first set loss, never gave the young Chinese players a chance to settle in the third set and continued to push and attack as they did in the last Olympic Games, winning the last game by a slight margin and advance to the final with a 21-18 in the deciding rubber.

The Indonesian pair now certainly be focused to win their first title in ten months, having won their last title in Malaysia back in January.

Wang Yihan ends Pi's Dream

She was in final in 2007, quarter final in 2008 and now Pi Hongyan was stopped in the semis by the athletic Wang Yihan, looking totally in control of the match. Pi Hongyan couldn’t do anything against the Chinese wall that is Wang Yihan. The young Chinese player showed how athletic she was, as from the start she brought a high tempo game and attack to centre court.

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"She was always pressuring me with her attacks, and I couldn’t catch up in the score line, even if I was smashing I couldn’t follow up afterwards. I tried to play her at the net, but I was just too slow," said Pi. The crowd’s support still failed to help the French player come back in the game, suffering a severe 21-13, 21-11 defeat at home.

For the third time this year, Peter Gade (pictured right) lost out against his friend and great rival Taufik Hidayat, who pulled off a fantastic win, proving once again his desire to play his best on the French soil. Only two games were needed to the Indonesian prodigy to reach his second final in a row at the Yonex French Open. Both technical masters played perfectly, superb backhand, fantastic drives and marvelous attacks were evident throughout the whole match. Still Taufik Hidayat has the edge, spurred by a need to revenge his defeat from last year were he lost in three sets after an epic battle. The Dane fell behind in the first set but quickly comes back in the game, upping the pace in the rallies but lost out when appearing to have the game in the bag.

"I am just so angry to have not won the first game, I really felt I was playing better but still I couldn’t finish it off," commented Peter Gade after his match. Indeed, Taufik managed to conclude the first game with a 22-20 score line. Taufik more confident, cruised home in the second game and earn his ticket to the final; the delighted audience gave a standing ovation for both players who played out a badminton spectacle in a forty-five-minute show.

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