Summary Chen Long beat Hu Yun 21-17, 21-12 in the group stage match of the Super Series finals.
DUBAI (AFP) - Chen Long, the world number one from China who is making a good job of escaping from the shadow of the greatest player of all time, made certain of qualifying for Saturday s semi-finals in Dubai with a gear-changing second win at the group stage the Super Series finals.
Chen did that with an impressive mid-match acceleration in a 21-17, 21-12 win over Hu Yun, a boyhood friend from Hubei province who now represents Hong Kong and who unexpectedly took a 9-5 lead in the first game.
But when Chen increased the speed of the rallies and combined it with some brilliant, breath-taking defence, he pulled back the deficit steadily and then hurtled to a 9-0 lead in the second game, effectively ending the match as a contest.
"These things are quite normal," reckoned Chen, who seems to see his widening capacity to vary his tactics as all part of an expected mosaic pattern too, albeit one which few can emulate.
Already the winner of seven major titles this year, Chen is becoming a hotter favourite to score an eighth here, and a successful defence of the title in the BWF tour s flagship event is one of the very few things which his legendary compatriot, Lin Dan, twice the Olympic men s singles champion, has not managed.
Chen s last group match is against Jan Jorgensen the world number two from Denmark, who has also qualified with a 21-17, 21-16 success against Tian Houwei, China s replacement for Lin Dan.
Jorgensen showed how patient and perceptive he is in probing carefully for openings before launching ambushing attacks, and claims he will not try to conserve energy against Chen in the last group match tomorrow (Friday), even though both are already sure of progressing further.
"I played much better today, and have to try to do the same against him," Jorgensen said. "It s important to keep playing your best."
Earlier another Chinese player, Wang Yihan, the former leading woman, resisted defeat as resolutely as the repeated questions about when she will retire, coming from a game and 16-17 down to beat Ratchanok Intanon in a tussle of former world champions.
Wang played close to her very best when she was in danger in the second game, taking five out of the last seven points to rescue herself and then getting on top and winning 19-21, 21-19, 21-11.
She produced forcing, though tactically careful rallies in the crisis, but felt it was her mind-set which more than anything helped her through.
"I told myself that this is okay, that I just have to be positive, and that it s still possible to do it," she said.
After she had squeezed the contest into a decider she was by far the more consistent player, picking her moments to attack much better than her opponent.
Although Wang has not won a big title this year she will not consider her future until after the Olympic Games next year.
Meanwhile, she is now almost certain to qualify for the semi-finals, as she now has two wins, with just one more group match to come. On Wednesday she beat her Chinese compatriot Wang Shixian, the former world number one.
Intanon, who saved four match points to beat Sung Ji-hyun of Korea on Wednesday, now has to recover from the disappointment of being so close to reaching the semi-finals today. But against Wang Shixian, her last group opponent, that may be as tough as it comes.
