World No. 1's Lin Dan and Xie Xingfang got their Olympic preparations off to a positive start with victories in the men's and women's singles finals as Chinese shuttlers swept all the titles at the Thailand Open in Bangkok yesterday.
Winner of back-to-back world titles in 2006 and 2007, Lin put in a solid performance in his final outing before the Beijing Games and showed his class to come from behind and beat the determined Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand 17-21, 21-15, 21-13.
Xie, also a double world champion, took just 37 minutes to see off compatriot Lu Lan 26-24, 21-7 and take her second title of the year.
Lifted by a near-capacity home crowd, Boonsak had the best of a close first game, edging ahead of a sluggish Lin at 18-17 before sealing the win with a showmanlike flick from behind his back.
Lin, who failed to make an impact at the Athens Olympics, came out fighting to take the next two games, varying his play with delicate flicks and potent returns which had Boonsak darting around the court.
The Thai struggled to cope as the fitter, stronger Lin opened up sizeable leads to take the last two games with six and eight-point cushions.
"He was tough, difficult to beat," Lin told reporters. "This win was very important for me, it's a good way to start and it's good for my confidence. I feel great now."
Lin's long-time girlfriend Xie battled against the breeze of Bangkok's Nimibutr Gymnasium and had to reach 26 points before she wrapped up the first game.
With the wind on her side, the towering Chinese gave Lu no chance and zipped through the second game to clinch victory.
"I struggled with the first game, the air conditioning was a problem for me and it was hard to control," Xie said.
"In the second game it was much easier for me. It's good to get the win so close to the Olympics."
Ranked No. 1 in the world and with the Games taking place in her home country in August, Xie admitted a lot was expected of her.
"I feel a lot of pressure," she said. "But the pressure comes from myself as much as anywhere else. Everyone wants to win the Olympic gold."
Boonsak, who lost in the semifinals in Athens to eventual winner Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, admitted he had a lot of work to do ahead of the Games.
"My fitness is not as good as his (Lin), so I need to improve," he said.
Xie Zhongbo and Zhang Yawen took the mixed doubles crown beating compatriots and top seeds He Hanbin and Yu Yang 23-25, 21-10, 23-21. Yang Wei and Zhang Jiewen rallied to win the women's doubles, overcoming Malaysia's Wong Pei Tty and Chin Eei Hui 15-21, 21-13, 21-13. The men's doubles championship went to top seeds Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng after compatriots Guo Zhendong and Xie Zhongbo retired before completing the first game.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily June 30, 2008)