OLYMPICS DAY 3 : Tine's Olympic Dream Thrashed

Over the past year she has captured three Super Series titles and defeated the best players in the world, but Tine didn't manage to follow her seeded and favoured status as she lost in the second round against the dangerous Indonesian Maria Kristin Yulianti.

By Tarek Hafi, Live from Beijing. Photos : Badmintonphoto (live from Beijing)

Tine Rasmussen (photo left) was probably the best non-Asian medal prospect in this 29th Olympiad and to prevent the Chinese players from a clean sweep; however, her opponent of the day, the Indonesian Maria Kristin Yulianti, prevailed in the end.

She first shocked the world with her fantastic run at the 2007 Japan Open where she defeated four Chinese players in a row, including the two best players in the world, Zhang Ning and Xie Xingfang. Still eager for more titles, she went on to clinch the prestigious All England and the Singapore Open, and has become one of the most feared players in the world and a potential gold medal winner.

"I wish I had started out with an easier match, but that's the Olympics," Tine said after her match. Indeed, her opponent, Maria Kristin Yulianti (photo below) reached the final of the last tournament before the Olympics, the Indonesia Open, and showed that she had improved throughout the year and thus started these Olympic Games accorded an outside chance. Her nonchalant game was surely the most appropriate way to control Tine's attacking play.

Maria Kristin started the match with an intensive pace, creating the gap, leading 8-2, and she kept it up until, with the Indonesian leading 15-14, the Dane quickly came back to take an 18-15 lead from which she finished off the first game 21-18.

Maria Kristin took the lead again in the second game, but learned from the first game, kept the lead and won it by a very slight margin 21-19. As in the first two games, she continued to dictate the pace, giving no chance to the tall Dane. At 19-10, she had the match in her sights but missed a first match point at 20-13, but won the second to reach the Olympic quarter-finals with an 18-21, 21-19, 21-14 victory.

"I simply didn't play my best badminton today, and she played better," Tine explained. "I knew from the start it would be a tough round as she'd been in the final of Indonesia Open, so it was a very tough draw. I feel disappointed of course, but I will get back on court quickly."

Maria Kristin will next meet India’s prodigy Saina Nehwal, who created one of the upsets of the day by defeating the 4th seed, Wang Chen of Hong Kong. The two upstarts will duke it out for a place in semi-finals.

For all Day 3 results, click HERE

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